True Love Never Dies
by SonnyAngel
Summary: I'm back! With CHAPTER THIRTYONE! Major Sonny fic with an OC with some ZEM thrown in for good measure. PLEASE read & review!
1. Is This My Life?

**Disclaimer: This is my first GH fan-fiction. I do not own the characters, except for one, "Angel Morrissey". She is my creation that I made up to play with my favorite characters. J Angel was actually created by me in 1982 when I realized that there was not one single female on GH who was worthy of Blackie Parrish. LOL. Anyway, I adapted my story to incorporate her with Sonny Corinthos (for the exact same reason I created her in the first place). Please read & review.**

**Background: This story begins in the summer of 2000. Sonny and Carly have not married. He is facing jail time after being arrested after a meeting with Sorel in the motel room and Alexis has suggested marrying Carly to block her testimony against Sonny. Zander is still on the run from the police with Emily as a hostage, although she's not feeling very much like a hostage.**

**TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES**

**Chapter One-Is This My Life?**

**Sonny Corinthos sighed as he closed the door after Alexis Davis, his attorney, left. Remembering her words, _'Carly can't testify against you if you marry her'_, Sonny ran his hand through his hair, releasing his natural curls from their prison of gel and mousse. As he put his hands in his pockets, a stray lock falling over his forehead, he began to think about his dilemma. Did he really want to enter into another marriage-of-convenience strictly to stay out of prison? He had been down this road before and it had ended very badly.**

**As Sonny looked out the window of the penthouse, he remembered the night his wife Lily was killed. She had just revealed that she was pregnant with his child and Sonny, in an effort to recommit himself to his marriage, had taken her out to Luke's Club to celebrate. As they were leaving, Lily had offered to get the car since Sonny had had a few drinks that night. Lily looked back at him one last time before she got into the car. As Sonny turned back to bid Luke & Mike farewell for the night, there was suddenly an explosion as Lily started the car. Sonny's whole life blew up in one fell swoop.**

**Shaking his head, Sonny was sure he could not go through that again. He didn't want to deal with the possibility that one of his enemies would go after his family as a way to get to him. Sighing, Sonny wondered how his life had gotten so complicated_. Was this how he had planned his life to go? _Sighing, Sonny closed his eyes as he remembered the events of one fateful night 20 years in the past.**

**_Flashback—February 1980_**

**_Michael ran. He ran as fast as he could. He had to get to Angel's house. He felt the safest when he was with her. Angel gave him the peace and serenity that he needed to get through anything._**

**_She lived just next door from him in their Bensonhurst neighborhood but tonight it seemed to take forever before he reached her front door. For as long as he could remember, she was there. They had been friends forever and recently, they had become more. He was in love with her, he probably always had been, but only recently did he realize it. _**

**_When he arrived at her doorstep, she answered his pounding almost immediately, as if knowing that he needed her. "Michael? What's wrong?" she asked him, her brown eyes full of concern._**

**_Sonny pulled her into his arms and breathed in her scent. "My Angel," he whispered, as he clung to her._**

**_Angel was scared. Something must have happened for Michael to be clinging to her in this way. He was usually so strong, so in control of himself. Gently, she pulled herself from his grasp to look into his eyes. What she saw scared her even more. Sonny was falling, deeper and deeper into a depression from which even she might not be able to lift him. "Michael, what is it?" she pleaded, "please tell me."_**

**_Sonny cradled her face in his hands. "I did something," he whispered, "something that I can't take back."_**

**_Angel gently led him into the living room. When they were seated on the couch, she asked him, "Tell me, Michael, you know you can tell me anything."_**

**_Sonny looked into Angel's eyes and knew that was true. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "I have to leave home," he told her, quietly._**

**_Angel paled. "What? Why?" she asked him. But, deep down, she knew the truth. Only one thing could make him leave home. Deke Woods, Michael's stepfather. Ever since the cop had married Michael's mother, Adele, seven years before, Deke had made his life a living hell._**

**_"You know why, Angel," Michael told her, softly. When she nodded, he added, "I don't even know how it happened. It went by so fast. One minute I'm standing there listening to him rail at my mother and the next, I'm sitting on top of his chest and I'm choking him."_**

**_Angel sat in silence as Sonny told her the events that transpired when he arrived home just one hour before. As he approached his house, he could hear Deke's voice through the closed door. He was yelling at Adele to get dinner on the table. When Sonny walked in, Deke turned his attention to him asking him where he had been for so long. Adele had tried to come between the two, but Deke had slapped her. That's when something inside Sonny had snapped; he had seen Deke abuse his mother for the last time. With all of his strength, Sonny lunged at Deke, causing the man to fall backwards onto the coffee table. The fight went on for what seemed like an eternity, until Sonny was on top of the big man choking him. Adele pleaded with Sonny to let go and seeing the amount of hatred that he had for his stepfather, she asked him to leave. She was afraid of what may happen in the future. One or the two of them would be killed if Sonny remained in the home. Sonny realized that his mother was right, he had to leave or he would kill Deke Woods. He went upstairs to pack, leaving Deke gasping for air on the floor of the living room. When he came back downstairs, Deke was gone. Saying a tender goodbye to his mother, Sonny left._**

**_Angel was crying when Sonny finished his story. Deep down, she knew that Adele was right. Sonny couldn't stay in that house, but where would he go?_**

**_End flashback._**

**Sonny was jolted out of his thoughts as Carly returned to the penthouse with her usual fanfare. "Thanks, Johnny," she said to the bodyguard, as he helped her carry in her shopping bags. "Why is it so dark in here?" she demanded, as she turned on the lamp on the desk. Seeing Sonny standing by the window, she stopped. "I didn't see you there."**

**"You were kind of preoccupied," Sonny said, somewhat sarcastically, noting the shopping bags she had dropped on the floor. "It's nice to see that my legal troubles haven't gotten in the way of your shopping."**

**"These are all for Michael," she told him, firmly. "He starts school next week." Carly stopped herself. Why did Sonny always make her feel like she had to fight him? "By the way, have you given any thought to taking Michael to his first day of school with me?" she asked him, hoping he didn't want to fight. "You're the closest thing to a father he has right now," she continued, "I mean, since Jason left."**

**Sonny regarded her. _Why was this woman in his life? How did he let her get so close to him?_ Shaking his head, Sonny knew the answer. Jason. Jason made him promise that he would take care of Carly in his absence. Sonny always lived up to his word. When Carly became pregnant with his baby, he got her out of the Quartermaine house and moved her in with him. For a while, things were normal. _No, not normal_, Sonny corrected himself,_ Carly could never be in a situation that was normal._ Things were tolerable. They had finally reached a point in their relationship where they didn't fight all the time. They were planning to get married, not just for the baby's sake, when tragedy struck yet again when Carly miscarried after letting AJ Quartermaine goad her into a fight. It had taken awhile for them to stop blaming each other and themselves and had bonded while comforting each other and things finally were good between them again when Sonny's current legal troubles began.**

**"Well?" Carly asked Sonny. "Will you go with me to take Michael to school?"**

**"You know I'll do anything for Michael," Sonny reminded her.**

**"Well, I was just checking," Carly said. She could feel herself getting defensive and decided to avoid an argument with him. Things were stressful enough in the house with the police charges against Sonny pending. Picking up the shopping bags from the floor, she started up the stairs. Stopping at the landing, she turned back. Sonny wasn't watching her; he had already turned his attention to something out the window. _What was it about that window? Jason used to stare for hours out of it and now Sonny._ Shaking her head, Carly decided that she would never understand Sonny Corinthos.**

**Sonny was glad when Carly went upstairs. He didn't want to fight with her but with Alexis' words dancing in his mind, he was afraid that he would something to Carly that would hurt her. The last thing he ever wanted to do was to hurt a woman.**

**_Knock-knock._ Johnny poked his head in the door. "Mr. Corinthos? It's Mike."**

**"Show him in, Johnny," Sonny said, turning around to greet his father.**

**"Thanks, Johnny," Mike said, as he walked past the bodyguard.**

**Sonny dismissed Johnny and turned to Mike. "What can I do for you, Mike?"**

**"I came to check up on you, Michael," Mike told him, using Sonny's given name. "Any news on the charges the police have against you?"**

**Sonny nodded. "Alexis is working on something," he told him, "nothing for you to worry about, Mike."**

**"You care to tell me anything specific?" Mike asked, knowing the answer already.**

**Sonny grinned. "Nope," he said, "don't worry about it, Mike. You want a drink?" He crossed to the bar and poured a scotch for each of them.**

**"I'm gonna worry, Michael, no matter how many times you tell me not to," Mike warned.**

**"I know," Sonny told him, "but I'm still not going to tell you what's going on." Johnny knocked again. "Yeah?" Sonny called out. Johnny opened the door to announce the arrival of Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio and Lieutenant Marcus Taggert. "Comm. Scorpio, what a surprise. What can I do for you?"**

**Mac stepped forward. "This time we're not here for you, Sonny," he told the mobster. Before Sonny could ask, he added, with a grin, "we're here to see a material witness-----Carly Benson."**

**Without flinching, Sonny looked over at Johnny, who was still holding the door open. "Johnny? Could you get Alexis Davis, please?"**

**Taggert couldn't wait to speak up. "Your mouthpiece won't be needed, Corinthos," he said.**

**Sonny looked over at the lieutenant. He and Taggert had an antagonistic relationship. Taggert had grown up in Brooklyn, and while Sonny hadn't known him at the time, Taggert had known, and looked up to, Deke Woods. Taggert blamed Sonny for Woods' death and was determined to bring Sonny to the justice he thought he deserved.**

**Mike didn't like what was happening. "Mac, can you put a leash on your guard dog here?" he asked, "he's just making things worse."**

**"He's right, Mac," Alexis said, from the doorway, "Taggert can't control himself when it comes to my client."**

**"All right, Counselor," Mac warned her, silently wishing he hadn't brought Taggert in on this questioning. Changing the subject, he asked her, "Do you represent Ms. Benson as well? Cause if you do, wouldn't that be a conflict-of-interest?"**

**Alexis looked at Sonny. "He's right."**

**"What do you mean, _'he's right'_?" Sonny asked her, leading her to the side for a private conversation.**

**"I mean that if I'm representing you, then I can't represent Carly in this case," she told him, adding, "but if you follow the advice I gave you earlier, that wouldn't be an issue."**

**Sonny sighed. "I'm still thinking over that matter," Sonny told her. "What _can_ you do right now to postpone their interrogation?"**

**"Not much, unless."**

**"Unless what?"**

**"Well, it's a stretch," Alexis began, "but if Carly weren't feeling up to going down to the police station, because of her recent loss, I might be able to postpone the matter until tomorrow."**

**Alexis was asking that Sonny use the recent loss of his son to bide some time while he could think of something. Sonny thought for a minute. While he was thinking, Carly appeared at the top of the landing. "What's going on here?" she demanded, when she saw the top two people in the PCPD standing in her living room.**

**"Ms. Benson, just the person we came to see," Mac told her, as he approached her.**

**"Back off, Mac," Sonny warned the commissioner. To Carly, he said, "go back upstairs, you shouldn't be out of bed right now."**

**Carly looked irritated. She was so tired of Sonny telling her what to do. "I feel fine," she told him.**

**"Carly," Alexis stepped forward, "Comm. Scorpio is here to question you about the night at the motel. Are you sure you're feeling up to that?"**

**Carly looked from one face to the other---Sonny, Alexis, Mac and then Taggert. Then she did something she had never done in her life. She fainted.**

**(That's all for now. I hope you like it. For all of you ZEM fans, it won't be long until they are introduced into the story. And Angel makes her first appearance in the next chapter, too. So, stay tuned. And remember to review!)**


	2. New Beginnings?

**Disclaimer: I still do not own any of these characters, except for my own, Angel Morrissey. Angel was created years before Angel Ellis ever came to town, so please do not confuse the two.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Two: New Beginnings?  
  
Carly was faking. It was the only thing she could think of to get out of police questioning. As she lay on the floor pretending to be unconscious, she could hear the others, Sonny, Alexis, Mac and even Taggert, rush to her side. She heard Sonny demand that they give her room to breathe and she felt him pick her up and lay her on the couch. She lay perfectly still as she heard Sonny ask that Mac postpone the questioning for another day. Alexis left soon after them; she told Sonny before she left, "Think about what I've told you."  
  
Carly wondered what she meant. When she was sure that everyone was gone, she opened her eyes. She saw Sonny sitting on the other end of the couch watching her. "Brava performance," he said, quietly.  
  
Carly sat up. She didn't know what to say to him. It was all her fault that he was in the situation he was in. She knew that and if she could, she would take it all back. "What did Alexis say?" she asked him.  
  
Sonny looked her dead in the eye. There was no emotion in them. "She told me to marry you so that you couldn't testify against me," he said, plainly. There was no use keeping it from her, she'd find out sooner or later, and it was better that he told her so that she wouldn't pull one of her crazy stunts to find out.  
  
***  
  
Zander was on the run. He was headed for Canada with Emily Quartermaine in tow as hostage. Only lately, he realized, she hadn't been acting like a hostage. Ever since he had told her the complete truth about what had happened in the motel room the night Officer Ted Wilson was killed, she had promised that she would help him get across the border.  
  
As he drove in the darkness, he was thankful that they found an abandoned car in the woods. With a tweak here and there under the hood, Zander was able to hot-wire the car so they could make their escape. He looked over at Emily, who was sleeping in the passenger seat. God, she was pretty, he thought. Ever since the night of the rave, he couldn't get her face out of his mind. That was the reason he had begged Sorel for her life at the motel.  
  
Emily stirred. Opening her eyes, she saw Zander looking so intently through the windshield. Almost too intently, she realized. Was he watching her? She didn't know what to think of Zander now. Before, she was scared to death of him, but now she realized that he wasn't the low- life she and her friends had made him out to be. "You sleep well?" Zander finally spoke, taking his eyes off the road for a sec.  
  
Emily yawned. "Ok, I guess, about as well as you can in a car," she added, with a grin. Reaching on the floor near his feet, Zander pulled up a bag. Handing it to her, he motioned for her to open it. Breaking into a smile, Emily pulled out Pixie Sticks. "Thanks, Zander," she told him, touched that he remembered.  
  
"No problem," he said, "just don't try to feed them to me."  
  
"You," she mumbled, with a mouth full of sweetened sugar and pointing a pixie stick at him, "have no taste."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Emily laughed. "Where are we?" she asked, peering out at the darkness.  
  
"About 100 miles east of Pennsylvania," Zander told her.  
  
"Why are we going to Pennsylvania?"  
  
Zander told her about his plan to enter Canada from as far away from Port Charles as he could get. He figured the PCPD wouldn't think to have the border towns in Pennsylvania blocked to stop him.  
  
They drove on in silence as Emily thought about her family. Her mother, she knew, was probably worried to death over her. Ever since, Emily had joined the Quartermaine family when her mother had died; she had developed a tight bond with Monica, her adoptive mother. Sure, it wasn't as tight as the bond she had with her birth mother, Paige, but because Paige had been a close friend, Monica had never tried to replace her in Em's heart. For that, Emily was grateful and loved Monica all the more. Alan and Em had always had a close relationship. When she was little and feeling sad over her mom's death, Alan would cheer her up by making up funny voices and making her laugh. Soon, she was laughing so hard; she forgot why she was sad.  
  
Zander intuitively knew that Em was thinking about her parents and didn't intrude on her thoughts. He wished he had been as close to his parents as Em seemed to be.  
  
Flashback, November 1988.  
  
_It was Zander's eighth birthday. All of his friends were in his backyard playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey". His best friend, Danny, was blindfolded and Carly, Zander's big sister, was spinning him around. When she let him go, Zander yelled out directions to his friend. "To your left! To your left!" He laughed, as Danny didn't seem to know his left from his right while blindfolded. After Danny tacked his tail on the donkey's nose, Carly took off his blindfold. Smiling, she turned to the boys, "ok, who's next? The birthday boy?" Zander stood up and Carly put the blindfold on, whispering in his ear, "I'll put you right in front of the donkey, ok, Zander?" He nodded, as she began spinning him. When she let go, he heard his friends yell their directions and placed his tail on the wall. Taking off his blindfold, he saw that he had pinned it directly on the donkey's foot. Turning to his sister, she shrugged, "I did my part, you just missed."  
  
At that moment, his grandmother came out of the house carrying the birthday cake. All the boys ran for the picnic table loaded down with all kinds of party favors. As she laid down the cake on the table, Zander came over to her. Looking around, he asked his grandmother, "where's Mom and Dad?" Frowning, she told him, "I don't know, sweetheart, they should be here by now."  
  
Carly stood behind Zander fuming. How dare they miss their own son's birthday! She thought, deciding that she was going to make sure that the party was a success with or without their help. Leaning down, she told Zander, "get ready to make a wish, sweet boy."  
  
As everyone sang "Happy Birthday", Zander began to think of his birthday wish. What he wanted most was for his parents to be here, but that looked like it wasn't going to happen. At least I have Carly and grandma, he thought, looking up at them. When the song was over, Zander took a deep breath and blew all of the candles out.  
_  
End flashback.  
  
Zander's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a siren accompanied by flashing red lights in his rear view mirror. "Oh, crap," he muttered, slowing down. "What do you think they want?" Emily asked, looking worried.  
  
"Who knows," Zander replied, "whatever it is, it can't be good. I don't have the best of luck with cops."  
  
He came to a complete stop alongside the road and waited a minute while the cop walked up to the car. He stopped at the back of the car before coming to the driver's side window.  
  
"Hello, officer, what can I do for you?" Zander asked, trying his best to appear innocent.  
  
"You know you have an expired license plate?" the cop asked him, "can I see you license and registration, please?"  
  
"That's going to be a problem, officer," Zander explained, getting his wallet out of his jacket pocket. "You see.... this isn't my car."  
  
"It isn't, huh?" the cop asked, taking the license out of Zander's hand, "whose is it?"  
  
"A friends," Zander went on, "you see, my girlfriend and I borrowed it to get to her parents house. Her mother's very sick and Emily is worried about her."  
  
"Where does she live?"  
  
"Erie, Pennsylvania," Zander told him; it was the first place that popped into his head.  
  
The cop peered into the car to get a look at Emily. She looked frightened. Could be worry for her mother, he thought to himself. Standing upright, he gave Zander his license back. "Tell your friend to get that license plate taken care of," he said.  
  
Smiling, Zander assured him, "oh, I will, officer. Thank you."  
  
When the cop was out of earshot, Zander breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to Em, he told her, "THAT was close."  
  
Emily looked at him with a sense of awe on her face. Zander was so cool during that encounter. He was calm and collected and he chose his words perfectly. Em's appreciation for him was growing by the minute.  
  
***  
  
Thank you," Angel Morrissey told the cabdriver, as she gave him his cab fare. She stepped out of the cab and looked up at her new home. Harborview Towers: Penthouse One. Turning, she told her thirteen-year-old son, "Well, Nicholas, we're home."  
  
Nicholas looked up. "Wow, it's really high up." Angel laughed. The doorman appeared to offer his services in unloading her baggage from the trunk of the cab. She told him her name and apartment number. He welcomed them and introduced himself as Geoffrey.  
  
Thirty minutes later, Angel collapsed on the plastic-covered sofa. Her furniture had been delivered a few days earlier and was scattered throughout the living room. She looked around the living room. It needed a new paint job, she thought. Something lighter in tones than the blue the previous residents had picked. Seeing the big picture window, Angel stood up and walked over. When she saw the breath-taking view of Port Charles, she decided that this was her favorite spot in the apartment.  
  
Nicholas galloped down the stairs. "Mom, my room is huge!" he exclaimed, "a lot bigger than my old room."  
  
"I'm glad you like it, sweetie," she smiled. Walking over to the phone, she asked him, "how about pizza tonight? I'm too tired to cook."  
  
"That's fine with me," he replied, added, "except."  
  
"No mushrooms," they said together. "Yes, I know," Angel continued, "how about beef and pepperoni?"  
  
Nicholas nodded his head and sat on the sofa. He waited while his mother ordered the pizza and when she hung up the phone, he asked, "is it okay if I go downstairs?"  
  
"This late?" Angel looked at her watch. It was 8:30 PM. "Honey, I don't think so. We don't know anyone in town. What if something happens?"  
  
"Please? I promise I'll just go down to the lobby." He looked at his mother with the puppy-dog face he knew she couldn't resist. He started whimpering.  
  
Angel gave in. "Oh, okay, but stay in the lobby," she warned.  
  
"Okay," he said, as he ran out the door.  
  
Remembering the pizza, Angel ran out to the hallway with her purse. Catching him at the elevator, she handed him some money. "Bring up the pizza when it gets here."  
  
As Angel went back in the apartment, Nicholas stepped into the waiting elevator. Reaching the lobby level, he saw Geoffrey standing at his post near the front door. Smiling, Nicholas walked up to him.  
  
"Don't tell me, you're exploring your new home," Geoffrey teased him.  
  
"Yeah, Mom let me come down," Nicholas told him, adding, "do a lot of kids living in this building?"  
  
"There's quite a few, yes," Geoffrey told him, "but they're not on your floor. Only two other apartments are occupied on your floor-numbers two and four. A little boy around three lives in number four."  
  
One of the elevators that led to the top floor pinged open. Geoffrey greeted the man that walked out. "Good evening, Mr. Corinthos."  
  
"Good evening, Geoffrey," Sonny greeted. He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't notice Nicholas standing next to the door. When he left, Nicholas looked out to see Sonny enter a limousine. Watching the car leave, Nicholas turned to the doorman and asked, "Who was that?"  
  
"That was Sonny Corinthos, the most powerful man in Port Charles," Geoffrey told him.  
  
  
  
(That's all for now. Hope you like it. Soon these three stories will connect. Stay tuned!!)**


	3. Choices Made

**Disclaimer: I hope you are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. Sonny is, by far, my all-time favorite character on GH. That's really all I wanted to say here, since you all know that I don't own any of the GH characters, except for Angel. LOL.  
  
Rating: R, for one intense love scene  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Three: Choices Made  
  
Sonny wasn't going anywhere in particular. Sometimes when he had a lot on his mind, he took long rides in the car. In the front seat, Francis knew better than to interrupt his boss when he was in one of his moods. The partition was up between them to give Sonny the privacy he desired. As the car rode along in silence, Sonny let his mind wander.  
  
Flashback, February, 1980  
  
_Angel clung to Michael. She knew that after tonight, their lives would never be the same. He was leaving home. Angel didn't know if they would see each other again. She needed something to keep him in her heart forever. "Michael?" she whispered into his ear, as she held onto him. "Make love to me?"  
  
Michael pulled away and looked into Angel's eyes. He was going to ask if she was sure, but looking into her beautiful brown eyes, he knew the answer. He kissed her, softly at first, and then as his passion built up, his kisses intensified.  
  
Angel broke off the kiss. Taking Michael by the hand, she led him upstairs to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, Angel led him to the bed. Michael watched her closely. 'God, I love her,' he thought, 'how am I supposed to leave her?'  
_  
_He continued to watch her as she took off her blouse and skirt. Standing in her bra and panties, she threw her clothes on the floor. Reaching for Michael, she tugged his shirt out of his jeans and pulled it over his head. Unbuttoning his jeans, she helped him take them off.  
  
Leaning toward her, Michael kissed her again. It took Angel's breath away. They fell onto the bed with Michael on top. He leaned back and pulled her on top of him. Brushing her hair out of her face, Michael smiled. "You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world."  
  
Angel blushed. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head onto his chest. Inhaling his scent, she almost cried. Picking up her head, Angel put her finger on his lips, "no more words tonight, ok?"  
_  
_She kissed him deeply and they rolled over on the bed. Michael began trailing kisses down Angel's body, sending her into ecstasy. Reaching her panties, she lifted her hips off the bed and let him slide them off. Shedding his own briefs, Michael climbed on top of her and entered her, careful not to hurt her. Angel moaned her pleasure as Michael thrust deeply inside of her.  
  
When he was spent, Michael rolled off of her. Lying on his side, he watched Angel for any sign that she regretted their actions.  
  
She didn't say anything. She smiled and traced his face with her finger. "I love you, Michael," she said, finally.  
  
Smiling, Michael took her hand and kissed it. "I love you too, sweetheart," he said, quietly, "till my dying day."  
_  
End flashback.  
  
***  
  
Zander drove for another hour. He was starting to get tired and his back hurt from sitting at the wheel for so long. Looking over at Emily, he saw that she was looking out the window. "You hungry?" he asked.  
  
Emily looked over at him and laughed. "You must have been reading my mind," she said, "I'm starving!"  
  
Zander laughed. They seemed to be laughing together a lot lately, he thought. "There's a truck stop coming up in a few miles," he said, "we'll stop there."  
  
Emily nodded. Things were different between her and Zander than when he first grabbed her. Before, if he were to suggest stopping anywhere, Emily's first thought would be of escape. Now, she had no thought of leaving him. She had promised to help him cross the border safely and that's what she was going to do.  
  
"You mind if I turn on the radio?" she asked, reaching for the knob. She flipped on the power and classical music filled the car. Looking at Zander, she remarked, "I think we can do better than this."  
  
She fiddled with the radio until she heard a familiar melody. 'Heart and Soul' was playing. "Oh, my God," she whispered.  
  
Zander looked over. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
Emily didn't say anything. She sat quietly as the song played. Hearing Juan's voice coming from the radio brought up so many feelings in her. They had written the song together. Well, not together. She had written a poem for him and he set it to music. It was their song and now it was in the airwaves for the whole world to hear. She was so proud of him. He had done it. He had gotten a song on the radio. His dream was coming true for him.  
  
Where did that leave her, she thought. Did she want to share it with him? Emily thought she did, but in the last few months, she and Juan had been drifting apart. He was changing, as all people do, she supposed, but they weren't supposed to change away from each other, were they?  
  
The song ended and the DJ's voice came on. "That was Juan Santiago, boys and girls," he started, "a new artist from L&B Records from right here in good-old Port Charles. That was his premiere single "Heart and Soul" by Juan Santiago.  It was dedicated to his girlfriend, Emily Quartermaine. Emily, where ever you are, Juan is thinking of you."  
  
The DJ went on but Emily stopped listening. Juan had dedicated the song to her. She didn't know what to think. He really did love her, she thought. After everything they had gone through this summer, since the rave when she caught him kissing Alison Barrington, Juan really did love her.  
  
Zander took the next exit off the highway. He pulled into the parking lot of the truck stop. Stopping at a parking spot in front, he turned to Emily. She was still lost in thought. Zander cleared his throat, "Emily? Are you okay?"  
  
Emily came out of her daze. She noticed that Zander had stopped in front of the diner and was staring at her with concern. Smiling, she assured him, "don't worry, I'm okay, Zander." Unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door, she told him, "let's go. I'm still hungry."  
  
Zander hurried to catch up with her as she got out of the car and walked to the door of the diner.  
  
***  
  
While Nicholas was down in the lobby, Angel kept herself busy by going through some of the boxes in the living room. She decided to set up her kitchen first. She loved to cook and felt that a house wasn't a home unless it had a fully functioning kitchen. She carried a box into the kitchen and began unpacking it and putting the items where she had designated. Walking back into the living room, she opened another box. It was filled with things she had kept from her children's' childhood. Smiling, she spotted Nicholas' baby book. Pulling it out, she opened it to the first page. Something fell out onto the floor. Reaching down to pick it up, Angel saw that it was a sonogram picture. Looking closely, Angel's smile faded. It wasn't a sonogram of Nicholas. It was the baby she lost.  
  
Flashback, November 1980  
  
_Angel sobbed at her funeral. Her husband, Deke Woods, had killed Michael's mother, Adele. She cried for Adele, she cried for Michael, and she cried for the baby she was carrying. Rubbing her stomach, she thought about the baby who would never grow up to know and love, and be loved by, his grandmother. She cried for herself too, for she knew that now that Adele was gone, she was not in a position to care for her child.  
  
Angel looked down at her grandmother, Maria Ramirez. She had known Adele for years and was crying openly as well.  
  
Knowing that her grandmother was 80 years old, Angel knew that she couldn't ask her grandmother for help in raising her baby. Who knew how long she had to live? Angel had no choice. At 16, she was alone. She had no idea where Michael had gone. She hadn't seen him since the last night they spent together. So, she had contacted a lawyer to arrange an adoption for her baby.  
_  
_All of a sudden, Angel doubled over in pain. The pain was so bad, Angel felt like she was being torn in two. Maria turned around in her chair. "Mija?" she asked, when she saw Angel's face. Everyone gathered around her. Angel tried to wave them away so she wouldn't disrupt the funeral, but she knew that the time had come for her to give birth.  
  
She was rushed to the hospital where she gave birth to a boy six hours later. He was beautiful, Angel cried, as she held him. The lawyer came to see her two days later. She only had one request of the lawyer. She asked that whoever adopted the baby named him "Michael".  
_  
End Flashback.  
  
Nicholas broke into her thoughts as he opened the door. "Mom, pizza's here!"  
  
  
  
(Hope you like it. Please read & review. Your thoughts ARE appreciated!)**


	4. Zander's Story

**Disclaimer: I'm back. I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year. I was very productive this New Year's, writing a new chapter for this story. Can you tell this is my favorite one! God, I love Sonny! I wish I owned him! LOL.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Four: Zander's Story  
  
Sonny returned to the penthouse a few hours later. It was 9:30 PM. Checking in with Johnny, Sonny learned that Carly had taken Michael over to her mother's and wasn't expected back until morning. Since she had taken Max with her for protection, Sonny wasn't worried for their safety. He walked into the darkened apartment and poured himself a scotch. He didn't bother to turn on the light.  
  
Ring! Sonny picked up the phone after one ring. "Yeah."  
  
It was Elizabeth Webber. "Sonny?" she asked. She sounded scared, Sonny guessed. "I'm so glad you're home. Jason told me to call you if I ever needed you."  
  
"Elizabeth, are you alright?"  
  
Elizabeth sighed. "It's not about me, Sonny," she told him, "it's Emily. She's been kidnapped by Zander Smith."  
  
"Zander Smith? The kid who sells drugs for Sorel?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Do you know him?"  
  
"Just by name," Sonny told her, "I make it my business to know everything about my enemies. So, Zander grabbed Emily, huh? Where?"  
  
Liz quickly told him the whole story about their plan to entrap Zander by planting the dead cop's body in his car. When the cops found it in the parking lot of the latest rave, Zander had panicked and grabbed Emily to escape. Sonny had been frustrated that they hadn't come to him sooner for help, but he understood that they were scared.  
  
When she finished the story, Sonny assured her that he would find Emily and bring her home. Pushing the button to hang up, Sonny didn't replace the phone in its' cradle. Instead he dialed another number.  
  
Jason answered right away. His jaw clenched as Sonny told him the whole story. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he told Sonny, hanging up the phone. Grabbing his bag, he threw his clothes into it and left the rundown room he kept in Chicago.  
  
***  
  
Somewhere outside the town of Jamestown, New York, Zander followed Emily to a booth at the back of a truck stop off of Highway 17. Once they were seated, a waitress walked over to hand them some menus. "Hi there, I'm Nancy, what can I get you to drink?" she asked, with a smile.  
  
Emily looked up. "I'll have an iced tea with lemon, please." Looking over at Zander, he looked up at her and ordered a beer. "I'll have to see some ID," she told him.  
  
"In that case, make that two iced teas," Zander joked. Nancy smiled at him and excused herself to fetch their drinks.  
  
"How old are you, Zander?" Emily asked, once they were alone.  
  
"I'll be 20 this November."  
  
"I thought you were older than that," Emily told him.  
  
Zander grinned. Emily loved when he grinned. The way his face lit up and that stray lock always fell over his forehead; Emily's heart did a flip- flop every time.  
  
The waitress returned with their drinks. Taking out her order pad, she asked them, "okey-dokey, what can I get for you?"  
  
Looking at her menu once again, Emily told her, "I'll have a hamburger, medium-well, with French fries."  
  
"And you?" Nancy asked, turning to Zander.  
  
"I'll have the chicken fried steak with corn on the side instead of mashed potatoes," Zander told her, handing the menu to her.  
  
"Okay, you guys, one hamburger and chicken fried steak coming up," Nancy told them, taking their menus.  
  
Emily looked around the diner. There were a few people, mostly travelers it looked like, sitting at other tables. There were also burly-looking men sitting at the counter who were joking around with the wait staff. She looked back at Zander and noticed that he was staring at her. "What?" she said, self-consciously touching her face, "do I have something on my face?"  
  
Zander shook his head. "I was just thinking," he began, "you're pretty close to your family, aren't you?"  
  
Nodding, Emily told him, "they may be a crazy group but I love them. Even grandfather," she added, with a giggle.  
  
"I thought so," he said, lowering his head, "I shouldn't have grabbed you. You have people who love you."  
  
Emily sensed that something else was bothering him. Not sure how to approach it, she asked plainly, "don't you have family anywhere?"  
  
Zander looked up. Emily was the first person to ask about his personal life in a long time. For some reason, he felt like he could trust her. He felt like he could tell her anything. "I haven't seen my family in seven years."  
  
"Seven years?" Emily was shocked. "Why? I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."  
  
"That's okay," Zander assured her, adding, "I was never close with my parents when I was growing up and when I was almost thirteen, I just hit the road."  
  
"You ran away when you were thirteen?" Emily remembered when she and Lucky had run away when they were eleven to find her aunt. "Can I ask why?"  
  
Flashback, June 1993  
  
_It was the last day of school at Jefferson Junior High in Tallahassee, Florida. Zander slammed the front door behind him and called out to see who was home. With no response, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom and dumped his backpack on his desk. It wouldn't be touched for the next three months. It was summer vacation. Zander was looking forward to the next three months of freedom.  
  
Not that it really mattered, he supposed. Even during the school term, he was free to do whatever he wanted. His parents were always working and pretty much treated him like an afterthought. It had always been that way for him, but the last five years made it worse. Ever since...  
_  
_Zander looked at her picture on his dresser. Carly, his big sister had been gone for almost five years now. Killed in a car accident on her 16th birthday. Their parents had gotten her a brand-new car and she had taken it out for a ride with some friends. They weren't speeding or anything, but the person who hit them had been. He registered a blood-alcohol level of .14 well over the legal limit. Carly had died instantly when he collided headfirst into her.  
  
Their parents had taken it especially hard and had withdrawn from their son completely. Burying themselves in their work, Zander was left to his own devices for much of the time._  
  
_Zander had stopped caring about his parents a long time ago. As far as he was concerned, he was better off without them. He decided right then and there that he was going to separate from them completely. If they didn't want him around, then so be it, he was gone. He started saving money right away, doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. Most of his neighbors praised his ingenuity. When all of his friends were out playing and goofing off, here was Zander earning his own money. By the time August came around, he had earned over $500. The day that school started back up, Zander took his backpack, but instead of filling it with books, he packed it with clothes. When the other kids were starting another year at the junior high, Zander was heading north out of town._  
  
End flashback.  
  
Emily sat in shock as Zander finished his story. Poor Zander, she thought. She had no idea what he had gone through in his short life.  
  
  
  
(Hope you like it. Please read & review. I love any and all feedback.)**


	5. Jason's return

**Disclaimer: Hey all, here I am with another exciting chapter! I hope you are all enjoying it. Let me remind you, I do not have any affiliation with GH. I've just been a fan for over 20 years. Please read & review.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Five: Jason's return  
  
Jason arrived in Port Charles in the wee hours of the morning. He had driven all night on his bike and went straight to Jake's. Jake had a soft spot for him and wasn't at all upset when he woke her up asking for his old room upstairs.  
  
Depositing his bag on the bed, Jason withdrew a change of clothes from it. Walking into the bathroom, he turned on the water, making it as hot as he could stand. Quickly undressing, he stepped in and lathered up. He was in a hurry. He had a lot to do in order to find Emily before it was too late. As he washed off the grime from his long road trip, Jason began calculating a plan to find her. He had several ideas on what Zander might try to do, but he decided to wait until he talked to Sonny before he finalized anything.  
  
Turning off the water, Jason grabbed a towel from the shower rack. He wrapped it loosely around his hips and stepped out of the shower. Eyeing himself in the mirror, he decided not to shave, but quickly brushed his teeth.  
  
Toweling himself dry, he dressed in the T-shirt and jeans he had grabbed from his bag. Running his fingers through his hair, Jason was ready to go. Locking the door to his room, he hurried down the steps, taking them two at a time.  
  
He arrived at the Harborview Towers in ten minutes and nodded to the doorman in the lobby. When he reached penthouse level, he noticed that Johnny wasn't on duty yet and rapped his knuckles on the door.  
  
Sonny was already dressed when he heard the knock. Opening the door, he smiled when he saw Jason. "I knew you would get here this early," he joked, "what did you do, ride all night?"  
  
Walking in, Jason nodded, "I wanted to get here as fast as I could."  
  
Sonny followed Jason to the couch. They sat down opposite each other and didn't say anything. They were each thinking the same thing. They each knew that they could count on each other if they were ever in need. This was one of those times. Jason's little sister, Emily, was in trouble. They didn't know anything about Zander Smith and his motives regarding her, so they had to proceed cautiously. Zander could snap at any time and Emily could be hurt in the process.  
  
Jason broke the silence first.  "What do you know about this Smith kid?"  
  
Sonny shook his head.  "Little to nothing," he began, "he's a low man in Sorel's organization. Sells drugs to kids at raves. Elizabeth told me…"  
  
At the mention of Elizabeth's name, Jason perked up, "how is she involved?"  
  
Sonny quickly told him the whole story how the kids had gotten involved with helping Emily stay out of trouble after she was found in the hotel room with the dead cop. They were at the rave that night to try to put their plan in motion to plant the cop's body in Zander's car in order to avert any attention away from Emily.  
  
When Sonny was finished, Jason leaned back against the sofa. He was exhausted, but his priority was to get his sister to safety before he could rest. Looking around the penthouse, he noticed that it was quiet. There were no noises coming from upstairs.  "Are Carly and Michael here?" he asked.  
  
"Carly took Michael to Bobbie's last night," Sonny told him.  
  
Jason knew that Sonny and Carly did not get along. He debated asking how they were doing but decided against it. Emily was the number one priority right now. "Zander will be trying to get to Canada," he told Sonny, matter-of-factly.  
  
Sonny nodded.  "That's what I would do," he agreed, "but where are they now?"  
  
Jason thought for a minute.  "He's headed east."  Jason didn't know how, but he knew instinctively that Zander would head east in order to enter Canada as far away from Port Charles as he could.  
  
Jason stood up. He knew he had to get going if he had any chance of catching up with the kids.  
  
***  
  
Zander stirred in the front seat of the car. They had pulled over on the side of the highway the night before in order to get some sleep. Sitting up, he looked over into the back seat. Emily was still asleep. Zander breathed a sigh of relief. He half-expected to wake up this morning to find her gone. Somewhere deep inside of him, he was glad she was still with him.  
  
Emily seemed to sense Zander was watching her. Opening her eyes, she saw him peering at her from over the front seat.  
  
"Did I wake you up?" he asked her, with a shy grin.  
  
Emily yawned and half-stretched, as much as you could in an old Chevy Impala. She grinned back at him. "It's okay," she told him, "I don't think I was really asleep."  
  
"I'm sorry," Zander told her. He looked away. He found himself apologizing to her a lot lately. Why was that? He wondered. Turning around, and moving over behind the wheel, he asked, "you hungry?"  
  
Emily sat up and began climbing over to sit in the passenger seat.  "Yes!" she said, excitedly. As Zander started the car, she fastened her seat belt.  
  
Pulling the car onto the highway, Zander turned to her.  "We'll stop at the next diner."  
  
They drove in silence for a while. Emily was deep in thought.  "You okay?" he asked her, looking over at her after a few minutes.  
  
"I was just thinking of my grandmother," Emily told him, not looking at him. She was lying. She hadn't been thinking about her eighty-year old grandmother, Lila Quartermaine. She had been thinking about the twenty- year old boy who was sitting next to her. Emily had had a dream that she couldn't shake. That's why she wasn't asleep when Zander woke up. She had been lying in the back seat trying to make sense of her dream.  
  
***  
  
Emily's dream-  
  
_She is standing in the parking lot at the rave watching Zander as he waves the gun around. Emily is scared to death, but she can't seem to move. She can hear her friends call out to her to move out of Zander's way, but Emily isn't scared for herself.  She's afraid for Zander. He's getting too deep into trouble and he may not be able to get himself out.  "Zander," she whispers his name. He turns toward her and when he sees her face, his expression changes. He lowers the gun and steps toward her. Crumpling, he falls into her arms and she holds onto him. As Taggert is about to move toward him to arrest Zander, Emily calls out, "stay away, Taggert! Don't come near him!" Quickly moving Zander into Nikolas' car, she asks Nikolas to throw his car keys to her. Nikolas is reluctant, but as he sees the look on Emily's face, he complies. Emily catches the keys and tosses them to Zander. Zander peels out of the parking lot, as Taggert is powerless to stop them._  
  
Shaking her head, Emily tried to get the image of her dream out of her mind. She knew that the night at the rave hadn't happened like that. Why would she imagine that?  
  
She looked out the window as Zander pulled off the highway at the next exit and pulled into the parking lot of a nearby Denny's.  
  
***  
  
Angel awoke that morning full of energy. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was 8:30 a.m. I won't be waking up this late once school starts, she thought. An elementary school teacher, Angel was usually up at 5:30 am. Sitting up, Angel got up and put on her robe. She padded into the bathroom barefoot and washed her face. After she put on her contacts, she went downstairs to prepare breakfast for herself and Nicholas.  
  
The phone rang as she started cooking.  "Hello?"  
  
"Good morning, Mom!"  It was her seventeen-year old daughter, Susan. She was in Chicago, where she was preparing to start her freshman year at Northwestern University.  
  
"Susan! I was hoping you would call us soon!"  Angel told her, adding, "Nicky and I miss you already!"  
  
"I miss you guys too, Mom," Susan replied, "That's why I'm calling. What are you guys doing this weekend?"  
  
"Nothing much, just hanging out getting everything unpacked," Angel said, "why, what's up?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking of coming for a visit," Susan suggested, "I can help you unpack."  
  
Angel beamed.  "That sounds wonderful, sweetheart! I know that Nicky will be happy to hear that you're coming too."  
  
After they made arrangements for Angel to pick up Susan at the airport that weekend, Angel asked her daughter how everything was at the school. Susan reported that she had met her roommate and they seemed to hit it off immediately. She was just feeling homesick, she told her mother, and needed to be with her family. They didn't talk about her father, who was killed a year ago, in a robbery that had gone wrong at the bank where he had worked. It was still a fresh wound for Angel, even though she and Paul had been divorced for a few years.  
  
Hanging up the phone, Angel thought about how lucky she was that she had her children. She wasn't Susan's birth mother but she had been the only mother that the girl had ever known since Angel legally adopted her after marrying Paul. Thinking of Susan's adoption always made her think of her first-born son, whom she had given up. He would be almost 20 now, she thought, and wondered what kind of a man he had grown up to be.  
  
  
  
(Are you wondering why I stopped here? LOL. Sorry to tease you but I have to create some kind of suspense here. Let's call it a cliffhanger. Please read & review, so I can know what you think of it.)**


	6. Fate Intervenes

**Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with General Hospital, except as a fan for the past 20 years.  
  
Author's Note: My favorite character of all-time is Sonny Corinthos. That's why I created this story for him. I do have to make note that I don't like, nor have ever liked, Carly. That's why she does not have a big role in this story. Anyway, with that out of the way, enjoy! Please read & review!  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Six: Fate Intervenes  
  
8:30 AM  
  
After Zander and Emily enjoyed their breakfast at Denny's they got back on the road. After only 10 minutes on the road, the car started sputtering. Zander pulled over to the side of the road and opened the hood.  
  
Emily followed him out of the car.  "What's wrong with it?" she asked.  
  
Shaking his head, Zander replied, "I have no idea. And even if I did, I wouldn't know how to fix it. Or the tools for that matter."  
  
"What do we do now?"  
  
Sighing, Zander looked at her.  "Walk?"  
  
They went around to retrieve their things from the car.  "Should we hitchhike?" Emily wondered, as they started walking.  
  
Zander shook his head.  "I'd be too worried that someone would recognize us," he said, "maybe we should follow the road from a distance."  
  
Emily was worried.  She didn't know how they would manage on the road, or even where they would sleep if they didn't have a car. The only time she had ever camped out was when she and Lucky had run away to find her aunt.  
  
Zander seemed to read her mind.  "Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll take care of you."  
  
***  
  
10:00 AM  
  
"Nicholas!  I'm leaving!"  Angel called up to her son.  "I'll be back in a couple of hours."  Hearing a muffled reply from upstairs, Angel opened the door and walked into the hallway. Locking the door behind her, she headed for the elevator. As she waited for the doors to open, she put her keys in her purse. She didn't hear the man approach the elevator from behind.  
  
"Good morning," Jason greeted, as he pushed the button for the elevator, hoping that it would bring it faster. He laughed when Angel jumped.  "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"It's okay," Angel assured him, joking, "I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings: rule number one in self-defense class."  
  
When the doors opened, Jason held them as she stepped in. She pushed the lobby button as Jason stepped beside her.  "I'm Angel Morrissey," she introduced herself, extending her hand,  "I just moved into the building. Penthouse One."  
  
Jason shook her hand.  "Jason Morgan," he told her, "good to meet you."  He watched the numbers at the top of the doors as the elevator went down. He was in a hurry to get started on finding Emily.  
  
When they reached the lobby, Jason stepped aside so that Angel could get out. She bid him good-bye and walked over to the doorman.  "Good morning," she greeted, "I was wondering if you could tell me where the closest supermarket is."  
  
Sam, the day doorman, pondered the question.  "You want to go to Miller's Market," he told her, "it's a smaller, family-owned market, but its got good stuff."  After giving her directions, Angel thanked him and left the building.  
  
***  
  
Carly returned to the penthouse at noon. As usual, her arrival was heralded with a lot of noise. Sonny came downstairs and smiled when he saw Michael.  "Hey buddy!" he greeted the toddler, "did you have a good time at Bobbie's?"  
  
"Yes," Michael answered, shyly.  
  
"Do you want to go upstairs and play with your toys?"  
  
Carly interrupted him.  "I think it's time for his nap," she informed him. Turning to Leticia, Michael's nanny, she instructed, "take him upstairs and get him ready for bed. I'll be up in a few minutes."  
  
Leticia took Michael by the hand and walked upstairs. When they were out of sight and earshot, Sonny turned to Carly.  "How are you feeling?"  
  
Carly looked at him. He looked like he hadn't slept the previous night.  "I'm fine," she told him, "I just needed to get away for awhile. I would have stayed longer, but Michael kept asking for you."  
  
She turned to go upstairs as Sonny took a seat on the couch. He had a lot on his mind, Carly knew. If she hadn't done what she did, Sonny might have thought he could confide in her, she thought. But now it was too late. Without trust, there can be no love. And Sonny Corinthos did not trust her; Carly knew that for certain.  
  
Sonny stood up. He was too restless to sit still. He had too much on his mind: Emily and Zander, his legal troubles and now Angel. Angel---it wasn't the first time he had thought of her in the past 20 years.  
  
Shaking his head, Sonny decided that he needed to get out. He opened the door and Johnny turned to attention.  "I'm going to the warehouse," he told his bodyguard, "but I'll walk."  He instructed Johnny to stay and keep an eye on Carly and Michael, Sonny walked to the elevator.  
  
The doors opened immediately and Alexis Davis stepped out. Seeing Sonny, she asked him, "have you thought anymore about what I told you?"  
  
Waving his hand, Sonny told her, "Not now, Alexis, I'm still thinking."  He stepped into the elevator and pushed the button to make the doors close.  
  
***  
  
Angel returned to the Harborview Towers a little past noon carrying two very heavy bags. Sam offered to take the bags up for her, but she shook her head. He pushed the button to get the elevator for her. After waiting for half a minute, the doors opened. In her haste to get upstairs, Angel rushed forward, bumping into the man getting out.  
  
"Careful there," he said to the woman carrying the bags.  
  
Angel shifted the bags in her arms so that she could apologize.  "I'm so sorry," she said, looking up.  She froze when she saw him.  In her shock, she dropped her bags.  
  
Sonny couldn't believe his eyes.  _Was it really she?_  
  
"Michael?" Angel managed a whisper.  
  
"Hello, Angel," Sonny said, softly.  
  
  
  
(That's all for now! Hope you're enjoying it so far. Please read & review! I really want to see what you think.)**


	7. Is It Really You?

**Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with General Hospital, just as a fan for the past 20 years.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Seven: Is It Really You?  
  
"Hello, Angel," Sonny said, quietly.  
  
Until that moment, Angel had been frozen. She didn't move, she didn't speak, and she didn't breathe. But when she heard him speak, all of a sudden, her whole body started shaking. Tears flowed down her face before she realized she was crying. Some unknown force propelled her into his arms, before she realized she was running. As she clung to him, Sonny closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.  
  
They stood that way for a long time. It was Angel who finally broke the embrace. Her face was still wet with tears but she was smiling. Using his thumbs, Sonny wiped away her tears as she held onto his hands.  "I can't believe it's really you, Michael," she whispered, with unshed tears shining in her eyes.  
  
Sonny smiled.  "I know what you mean, I never thought I'd see you again."  
  
Angel's smile faded.  "I missed you so much," she told him.  
  
All of a sudden, Sonny realized they were very exposed. The lobby had suddenly filled with dozens of people, who were starting to stare at the two of them. He knelt down to pick up the bags that Angel had dropped.  "We better get these upstairs," he told her, self-consciously.  
  
Angel was confused. He had changed so abruptly.  "What's wrong, Michael?" she asked, kneeling down beside him.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all," he answered, "your food is going to get ruined."  
  
"I don't care about the food, Michael," Angel told him, "talk to me."  
  
Standing up, Sonny held both bags in one hand and extended his other hand to Angel. "Not here," he told her.  
  
Angel took his hand and stood up. Stepping into the waiting elevator, Angel said, "I'm in Penthouse One."  
  
Angel unlocked the front door and led the way into her apartment. Sonny followed behind, carrying the bags.  "Let me take those into the kitchen," she said, reaching for the bags.  
  
"Nah, that's alright, just tell me where to go," Sonny told her.  
  
Angel chuckled.  "Michael, I'm not the same little girl you once knew. I can carry two grocery bags on my own."  
  
After Sonny handed over the bags, he looked around the room as Angel put the groceries away in the kitchen. He was looking at photos over her fireplace mantel when she re-entered the living room.  "Is this your son?" he asked, indicating a picture of Nicholas.  
  
"Yes, that's my Nicky," Angel beamed, "he's thirteen now. I can't believe it." Pointing to the picture next to it, Angel told him, "That's my daughter, Susan. She's seventeen now."  
  
Sonny looked over at Angel.  "You look like you've led a good life."  
  
Smiling, Angel said, "yes, I have. I don't know what I would do without my kids."  
  
At that moment, as if he could sense he was being talked about, Nicholas came galloping down the stairs. He stopped short when he realized that his mother was not alone.  "Oh! I didn't know you had company, Mom."  
  
"Nicholas," Angel called to him, "I want you to meet someone. This is…"  
  
"Sonny Corinthos," Nicholas finished for her, adding, "I know who he is."  
  
"How did you know who he was?" Angel asked her son.  
  
"I saw him downstairs last night," Nicholas replied, "the doorman told me his name."  Turning to Sonny, he added, "he said you were the most powerful man in Port Charles. That true?"  
  
Sonny chuckled.  "That depends on your definition of powerful," Sonny answered the boy.  
  
"Are you mayor or something?"  
  
This time, Sonny laughed out loud.  "Mayor? Me? No, no, I'm not mayor of Port Charles. I own a coffee business down on the waterfront."  
  
Angel smiled at Sonny.  "You've made quite a name for yourself, haven't you?"  
  
Sonny smiled, flashing his dimples.  "I do alright."  
  
They spent the next few hours talking on the couch. Well, Angel did most of the talking. Sonny seemed very interested in Angel's life with her family. He didn't reveal too much about his own life. He mentioned that he had been married once, but didn't go into details on how his wife had died. He didn't want to scare her, and felt that if he revealed that he was involved with organized crime, Angel would get as far away from him as she could.  
  
After she told him another story about her kids, Angel decided that the time had come for her to tell him what she most wanted to tell him. It was the one thing that most helped shape her as the woman she was today: the birth of her first son. Clearing her throat, Angel asked him, "Can I ask you a question, Michael?"  
  
Sonny stopped cold at her question. There was something in her voice that made it seem of extreme importance.  "Sure," he told her, "you can ask me anything, Angel."  
  
"Where did you go when you left Bensonhurst?"  
  
Sonny sighed. Deep down, he knew that she would ask him eventually.  "Manhattan," he said, "I got a job there."  
  
"I tried to find you a few months after you left," Angel revealed, "but there was no trace of you."  
  
"You did? Why?"  
  
"I wanted to tell you about the baby," she began, "our baby."  
  
  
  
To be continued  
  
(Please read & review!) .**


	8. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliation with General Hospital.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Eight: Revelations  
  
Sonny sat in shock as Angel told him about her first pregnancy. He had a son, she told him. She had wanted to tell him but was unable to locate him. She had asked his best friend, Louie Cerullo, to help her in her search but he had come up empty.  
  
"I had to do the hardest thing I had ever had to do," Angel said, with tears running down her cheeks, "I signed away my son. Our son," she corrected herself.  
  
"You did the only thing you could think of," Sonny assured her, adding, "but, did you ever think of keeping him?"  
  
Angel looked up.  "Michael, that was the thing I wanted most," she told him, "I wanted desperately to keep him, but I didn't have anyone there for me. My grandmother got very sick, and I knew she wouldn't be with me for very much longer. And your mother."  Angel stopped herself, unable to go on as memories began flooding her mind.  
  
"What about my mother?" Sonny asked.  
  
Eyes welling up, Angel whispered, "I was there."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was there, Michael, when she was killed," Angel revealed.  
  
Sonny sat back as Angel recounted the events of the night Adele Corinthos Woods was killed.  
  
Flashback, Halloween night, 1980  
  
_It was nearly four in the afternoon on that Tuesday as Angel sat with Adele in her kitchen. They were making final preparations for the goodies that they were going to pass out that night. Adele and Angel had grown very close since Angel had found out she was pregnant. Angel often would spend her afternoons there for she once told Adele that it made her feel like she was closer to Michael.  
  
They heard the front door open abruptly. It was Deke Woods, Adele's second husband. Angel was well aware of his temper and tried her hardest never to be in the same room with him. But it was too late now…he was home early and Angel couldn't get out the back door in time. Adele hurried her into the pantry and closed the door. Even with the door closed, Angel could hear Deke roar as he walked through the house. He was drunk, that must be the reason he was home from work early, Angel thought.  
_  
_As he came in the kitchen, he saw the candy on the kitchen table. With one hand, he swiped the candy onto the floor.  "Where's my dinner, woman?" he bellowed at Adele, who was over at the stove.  
  
"It's almost ready, Deke," she told him, "you're home early."  
  
Taking two steps toward her, he slapped her across the face.  "Are you trying to say that I can't come home early?" he hissed at her.  
  
Angel bit her lip as tears came to her eyes. She wanted to help Adele but she had to think of her baby. Who knew what Deke would do to her now that she was carrying Michael's baby?  
_  
_As she stood at the stove, Adele's thoughts were on Angel. She tried to come up with a way to get her safely out of the house before Deke discovered her. As she was cooking, her bare hand touched the skillet and she pulled it back in pain. Her action caused the skillet to fall on the floor with the pork chops inside. Deke looked over at her, his face red.  "I suppose that was my dinner that's on the floor?" he asked, sarcastically.  
  
"Don't worry," Adele told him, as she bent down to pick it up, I'll make you something else."  
_  
_Deke wasn't appeased. Angel could hear him as he began to throw things around the room and as he began to hit Adele. Angel started crying as she heard Adele cry out in pain and then after awhile, there was nothing. The room was quiet so Angel slowly opened the door and stepped out. What she saw was a nightmare. Every dish was broken on the floor. She didn't see Adele right away, so she called out to her. As she stepped around the counter, Angel found her, lying in a heap on the floor. Blood was gushing out of her head._  
  
End flashback.  
  
Sonny was solemn as Angel tearfully finished the story. He had known already that Deke had killed his mother, but this was the first he had heard of Angel being a witness. Putting his arms around her, he told her, "it's okay, and it's over."  
  
"I wanted so much to help her, Michael," she said, "she was so good to me after you left."  
  
"I know."  
  
"After she died, so did my chances of being able to keep the baby," Angel continued.  "I went into labor at the funeral and two days later, I signed the papers for the adoption."  
  
*****

**Sonny walked down the corridor to his penthouse. He had sat with Angel on the couch until she had fallen asleep. After everything she had had to relive from the past, she was wiped out, physically and emotionally. Sonny decided to go back to his place for a while. He needed some time alone to digest what Angel had told him. I have a son. He couldn't wrap his mind around that concept. He would never admit it to anyone but having a child is something he never thought would happen to him. After Lily's death and Carly's miscarriage, Sonny thought that he was destined to go through life child-less. But all that was changed now. There was someone in the world that carried his DNA. As he looked out the picture window, Sonny wondered what his son was like. Does he resemble Angel or me? Or was he a mixture of the both of us? Sonny imagined that his son looked like him but he had Angel's disposition.  
  
Sonny's thoughts were interrupted as Carly came galloping down the stairs. She stopped suddenly when she saw Sonny standing at the window.  "What is so damned important out that window?" she demanded.  
  
To be continued….  
  
(Please read & review!)**


	9. There's more to the Story

**Author's Note:  I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to add to my story, but I've been extremely distracted by other things in my life...namely work. I was going to wait until I had a few more chapters finished before I uploaded anymore, but I decided not to. So without further ado, let's resume the story of Sonny and Angel. Oh, yeah, I don't have any affiliation to GH, Disney, or ABC.  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Nine: There's more to the Story  
  
Zander and Emily walked all day. They found an abandoned cabin in the woods and after checking to make sure it was unoccupied, they decided to camp there overnight. Dumping their small bag of snacks on the table, Zander turned to Emily. "Are you hungry?"  
  
Emily shook her head; a glance at her watch told her it was 7:00 PM.  "I'm too exhausted to eat," she told him, collapsing on the sofa.  "I think I'm going to lie down here and sleep for 12 hours."  
  
As she stretched out on the ratty sofa, Zander sat down in a nearby chair. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back and sighed. He was exhausted too. They had walked for hours through the woods, but they were still in Pennsylvania. Zander had hoped to be on the other side of Ohio by now, but with no car, they were at the mercy of time.  
  
Hearing Zander sigh, Emily opened her eyes. Watching him, Emily thought about how things might have been different if she had met Zander under different circumstances. What if he hadn't been a drug dealer?  'Wait a minute,' she told herself, 'what about Juan?' Emily had forgotten all about her boyfriend over the past few days. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.  
  
It was hours later when Emily jolted awake. Forgetting her whereabouts at first, she glanced around the room. She spotted Zander asleep on the chair and relaxed. She had been having a dream about him going to jail.  
  
She smiled as Zander stirred. He looked so uncomfortable all scrunched up. She quietly stood up and carefully placed his legs on the table in front of him. Zander stirred again but didn't wake up. Emily bent over him and gently pushed a lock of his hair from his forehead.  
  
*****  
  
Sonny knocked on Alexis' door. He smirked as he heard noises coming from the inside. Obviously, Ned was there, he surmised.  
  
Alexis opened the door. Seeing Sonny, she suddenly became aware of her disheveled appearance.  "Hi," she said, as she ran her fingers through her hair.  "You need me or something?"  
  
Sonny smiled, flashing his dimples.  "Can I come in?" he asked, looking over her shoulder, where he saw Ned standing with his clothes in a similar state.  
  
"Is this important, Sonny?" Ned asked, impatiently. He did not like Sonny and he hated the fact that Alexis lived right down the hall from him.  
  
Sonny talked to Alexis. He had no use for Ned, so his obvious disdain for him had no effect.  "Can I talk to you, please?"  
  
Alexis realized the seriousness of Sonny's request and turned to Ned.  "Can you excuse us, please?"  
  
Ned was disgusted. Shaking his head, he told Alexis, "you know what? You do what you want, I'm out of here."  
  
"Ned, you don't have to leave," Alexis protested, "this will only take a minute." Turning to Sonny, "this will only take a minute, right?"  
  
But Ned was already out the door. Alexis wanted to go after him, but she knew that nothing could make Ned calm down. The best thing for her to do would be to wait for him to calm down on his own. Closing the door as Sonny stepped inside.  "What can I do for you, Sonny?" she sighed.  
  
  
I'm sorry I interrupted your um, whatever, here, but this is important," Sonny told her as he walked to the couch and sat down.  "I've been thinking about what you told me."  
  
"About Carly marrying you?"  Alexis asked, joining him on the couch.  "Well, that's good, I mean, it's good that you'll be able to stop her from testifying, but…"  
  
"No, no, no, no," Sonny interrupted, "that's not what I've decided."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not going to marry Carly," Sonny announced, "We're going to have to think of something else."  
  
***  
  
Angel woke up alone in her apartment. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was 8:00 PM. There was no sign of Sonny as she sat up on the couch.  
  
As she stood and folded the blanket that had been covering her, the doorbell chimed. She opened the door to find Sonny standing there.  "Michael, I was wondering where you went," she told him, as she stepped aside to let him in.  
  
"I had to go do something," Sonny replied.  
  
Angel smiled at him. As he walked by her, she pulled him into a tight hug. As she clung to him, she whispered, "thank you for coming back."  
  
Sonny closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. A part of him didn't want to let go, so he just held onto her.  
  
Nicholas appeared at the top of the stairs and stood watching. He didn't know what to think. His mother and Sonny Corinthos…what was going on?  
  
*****  
  
Zander woke up suddenly. He was sweating and his pulse was racing. He had been having a dream where he was in jail. The convicts were surrounding him and just as he about to defend himself, he woke up. Looking around, he saw that it was dark outside. This would be a perfect time to continue on their way to the border. They would be in no danger of being spotted on the road as they would be in broad daylight. He looked over at Emily. She was sleeping so peacefully; he hated to have to wake her.  
  
Just then, he heard a noise coming from outside. Someone was at the door, he reasoned. Gently shaking Emily, Zander whispered, "Em? Wake up, we have to hide."  
  
Drowsily, Emily mumbled, "what? Zander, what's going on?"  
  
Pulling her up, Zander told her, "Someone's outside. We have to hide."  
  
Suddenly alert, Emily widened her eyes in alarm.  "Zander, where are we going to hide? This cabin only has one room."  
  
Zander looked around. Spotting the kitchen cabinets, he motioned for her to follow. "Get inside here," he said, opening one of the cabinets under the sink.  
  
Emily didn't waste any time arguing. The noise was getting louder. She squatted inside the cabinet while Zander closed the door. He found another cabinet for himself and just as he closed the door, the front door opened. A man walked in, stopping at the couch where Emily had been sleeping. Spotting the bag on the table, he opened it up, pulling out the kids' snacks: cheese and peanut butter crackers, candy bars and Pixie Sticks.  
  
Jason called out.  "Emily, I know you're here," he said, "I know you wouldn't go anywhere without your Pixie Sticks."  
  
"Jason?" Emily called out in disbelief. She burst out of the cabinet and scrambled out of the kitchen.  "I can't believe it's you!" she exclaimed, running into his arms.  
  
Jason was relieved to see that she was okay and squeezed her appreciatively. He tensed up when he spotted Zander coming out of the kitchen slowly.  
  
Emily sensed his tension and pulled back.  "It's okay, Jason," she tried to assure him, "Zander didn't hurt me."  
  
"Well, that's good," Jason said, "but I need to get you home now."  
  
"No, Jason, I can't," Emily said, "I promised Zander that I'd help him get to Canada safely."  
  
"No, Emily, you're not going anywhere else with this guy," Jason said, firmly, "and that's final."**


	10. Chasing Emily

**True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Ten-Chasing Emily  
  
It was barely 6:00 am when Jason pulled up the driveway to the Quartermaine estate. As they walked up to the door, he looked over at Emily. She looked tired and a little sad. He had basically no idea what had transpired between her and Zander. The whole trip, she had barely spoken a word to him.  
  
When he had caught up with them at the cabin, Emily had tried to tell him that she promised to help Zander across the Canadian border. But, Jason was adamant, Emily's part in Zander's escape was over. He was taking her home where she would be safe. He pointed out to Zander that he was only a few miles away from freedom, so he didn't need Emily.  
  
Jason caught a look between the two teens and knew that he had gotten to Emily just in time. He could tell that Emily had already invested too much of herself in Zander.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her now, as she was about to open the front door.  
  
Emily looked back at him.  "Yeah," she said, smiling wearily. She knew that Jason had only done what he felt was right for her because he loved her.  "I just wish I knew how Zander was."  
  
She opened the door and stepped inside. She could hear voices in the living room, most likely another one of the Quartermaine's legendary fights. From what Emily could hear through the closed doors, she knew it was about her.  
  
"You should have sent her to St. Catherine's a long time ago, Alan!" Edward boomed at anyone who could hear him.  
  
"Edward, stop it!" Monica shrilled, "you're only making things worse!"  
  
Alan stepped in.  "Monica's right, Father," he told Edward, "stay of it."  
  
Emily carefully opened the door. All heads turned. Monica was the first to reach her.  "Em? Oh, my God, it is you!"  
  
Emily didn't expect it but she missed her mother more than she knew and started crying as soon as Monica threw her arms around her.  
  
Alan rushed over and put his arms around both of them.  "Oh, Em, it's so good to have you back!"  
  
Edward stood back watching the threesome. He saw Jason edge his way inside the room.  "I suppose this is your doing, young man?"  
  
Alan looked up to see to whom he was talking and was surprised to see his son. "Jason! Did you bring Emily home?"  
  
Jason nodded.  
  
Monica let go of Emily and reached to hug Jason.  "Thank you," she breathed.  
  
Edward watched his grandson with interest.  "How did you hear about her kidnapping?"  
  
"Sonny told me," Jason answered, releasing Monica.  
  
"It doesn't matter how he found out, Edward," Monica insisted, "the important thing is he found her and brought her home."  
  
She held both Emily's and Jason's hands.  "The important thing is that both of them are home."  
  
***  
  
In Canada--  
  
Zander walked into the coffeehouse and took a seat at the counter. When the waitress came over, he ordered eggs and sausage on toast with a cup of coffee. She poured him a cup of coffee immediately and went to place his order with the cook. Reaching inside his jacket to make sure he had some money left, he pulled out the bag of snacks.  
  
Taking out the Pixie Sticks, he thought of Emily. It was best that she was away from him, he thought. He was bad for her; all he could give her would be trouble.  _Still_, he remembered the morning they woke up in the car. He had looked over the front seat to find her still sleeping. She looked so beautiful lying with her eyes closed and a smile playing on her lips. _What if?_ He thought. _What if they had met somewhere else? Would they have had a chance?  
_  
Taking out his wallet, Zander threw a couple of bucks down on the counter. He had to find out if it was just wishful thinking or if there was something between them.  
  
***  
  
Emily was tucked into her bed while Monica fussed over her.  "Mom, I'm fine," Emily tried to tell her mother.  "I'm just tired."  
  
"Are you sure? Maybe we should take you to the doctor for a checkup," Monica fretted.  
  
Emily smiled.  "You are a doctor," she reminded her, "don't I look okay to you?"  
  
Monica sighed.  "You look wonderful, sweetheart," she said, "I'm just so glad you're home."  
  
"Good," Emily said, "Now can I get some sleep?"  
  
Monica agreed to leave the room and promised Emily that she would be home all day if she should need her. When she finally left, Emily turned on her side and closed her eyes.  
  
She pictured Zander's face as she remembered the events of the last few days. When he was cornered at the rave, he was scared, desperate even. As she had gotten to know him over the next hours, he had let down his guard and let her see how lonely he had been while growing up. He wasn't the drug-dealing scumbag that she and her friends had thought him to be. He had saved her life that night in the motel room, she remembered. She drifted off to sleep trying to think of a way to repay him.  
  
***  
  
Jason arrived at Sonny's penthouse to deliver the news that Emily was safe at home. Johnny knocked on the door to announce his arrival and as Jason walked in, Sonny stood up from the couch where he had been playing with Michael.  
  
"Hey, buddy, look who's here?" Sonny said to Michael, who looked up at Jason briefly.  
  
Jason chuckled, "it's good to see you too, Michael." Michael was more interested in his trucks.  "He doesn't remember me," Jason said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Of course he does," Carly insisted, as she walked down the stairs. Jason turned and she walked over and gave him a big hug.  "It's good to see you, Jase," she whispered.  
  
"Carly, could you take Michael upstairs?" Sonny asked, "Jason and I have things to discuss."  
  
"Now?" she asked, "I wanted to visit with Jason."  
  
Sonny looked at her and she knew that she wouldn't win this argument. Giving Jason one more arm-squeeze, she bent down to Michael, "come on, Mr. Man, let's you and I go upstairs and play by ourselves."  
  
As she helped Michael collect all of his trucks and went upstairs, Sonny and Jason each took a seat on the couch. When they knew that Carly was out of earshot, Sonny asked Jason, "I take it you found Emily? How is she?"  
  
"She's safe," Jason began, "I don't think she was hurt."  
  
"That's good," Sonny nodded, adding, "What do you think of this Zander Smith?"  
  
Jason thought a minute before answering.  "I think he's mixed up in some serious stuff. What do you know about him?"  
  
Sonny shook his head.  "Just that he was selling drugs for Sorel," he told Jason. "And that he found out about the undercover cop, Ted Wilson, and reported him to Sorel."  
  
"You think he killed the cop?" Jason wondered.  
  
Sonny shook his head.  "Nah, that has Sorel written all over it. He wanted to make an example of Wilson. Cop-killing is just his style." Sonny paused. After some consideration, he asked Jason, "Do you think Zander Smith can be trusted?"  
  
Jason raised his eyebrows.  "What are you thinking?" he asked.  
  
Sonny told him about his legal troubles and about marrying Carly to keep her from testifying.  
  
  
**

**"You don't want to marry Carly?" Jason asked him.  
  
"I don't want to get into another marriage for the wrong reasons," he told Jason.  
  
Jason knew all about his first marriage to Lily. He knew all too well how guilty Sonny felt when she was killed.  
  
"Besides," Sonny added, "there's another reason."  He paused, unsure of how he should proceed.  "There's someone who just reentered my life," he said simply.  
  
"A woman?"  
  
Sonny nodded.  "It was a lifetime ago when I last saw her but I ran into her here in Port Charles," he told Jason, "in fact, right here in this building."  
  
As he told Jason about seeing Angel, Carly peered over the staircase. She listened quietly as Sonny talked about another woman. She could feel her hold on Sonny giving way.  
  
***  
  
Emily slept the whole day. When she finally opened her eyes, she peered at the clock beside her bed. 4:30 PM.  Stretching, she pulled the covers back and swung her legs off the bed. She shuffled sleepily into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, letting the cold water run. She splashed her face, feeling more awake with each splash.  
  
As she was sitting on the toilet, she heard a knock.  "Coming!" she called out. She stepped into the room and opened her bedroom door. Seeing no one at the door, her brow creased. Damn! I must be tired, if I'm hearing things, she thought. She decided to climb back into bed to read when she heard the knocking again. She turned around and was surprised when she saw Zander's face peering at her through the window.  
  
"Zander!" she called, as she rushed to open the window.  "What are you doing here?"  
  
Zander climbed in the window. Standing before her, he didn't know what to say.  "I came to see you," he said shyly.  
  
To be continued…soon! Please read & review!**


	11. Plan B

**Author's Note: I'm back with more!! I'm so disappointed that Sonny is still with Snarly on GH so I had to continue my alternate universe. Hope you like it. Please read & review. I'm a feedback junkie. LOL.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with GH, ABC or Disney.  
  
  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Eleven-Plan B  
  
"Zander, what are you doing here?" Emily asked, as he climbed inside her bedroom.  
  
"I came to see you," Zander said quietly. As she stood staring at him, he became increasingly nervous and began to wonder if it was a good idea to come back. "I'm sorry I barged in on you," he said, as he turned to climb back out the window.  
  
Emily reached out to him. "No, wait," she told him, grabbing his arm. "I'm glad you came."  
  
Zander looked at her. She is so pretty, he thought, even in wrinkled pajamas. He glanced at her lips. She kept wetting them nervously and it was driving Zander crazy. He felt himself drawn to her. When they were inches apart, Emily closed her eyes and parted her lips. The kiss was soft and gentle, like all first kisses should be. Zander could feel all of the defense mechanisms he had put up over the years crash to the ground.  
  
They were still lost in the throes of their kiss when they suddenly heard voices coming from the hall. "I'll check on Em," she heard her mother say to her father, who answered that he would be downstairs talking to Edward.  
  
Monica rapped softly on the door. "Em? Are you awake?"  
  
"Just a minute, Mom!" Emily called; trying not to sound panicked. Silently, she motioned for Zander to hide under the bed. When he was safe from view, Emily opened her bedroom door.  
  
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Monica inquired, as she embraced Emily. "You look a little flushed."  
  
Touching her hand to her face, Emily tried to calm her nerves. "I just woke up," she explained, "I was in the bathroom when you knocked." "Are you hungry?" Monica asked, "I can ask Cook to make you some soup and sandwiches."  
  
Emily realized that it had been almost 18 hours since she and Zander had stopped at the Denny's for breakfast. She was famished. "Yeah, I am hungry. I'll get dressed and meet you downstairs in 10 minutes."  
  
Monica had no clue that Emily was trying to get rid of her. All that mattered to her was that Emily was allowing her to hover and take care of her. When she left the room, Emily closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Zander poked his head out from under the bed, "the coast clear?" he asked.  
  
Emily nodded. She took his hand and led him to the window seat. "I was so worried about you. Did you make it to Canada?"  
  
"Yeah, but," Zander paused, not knowing if he should reveal his feelings. "I.I couldn't stop thinking of you."  
  
Emily smiled. "I kept thinking of you too," she told him. "But you shouldn't have come back. What if you get caught?"  
  
***  
  
Sonny paced as he waited for the elevator. When the doors opened, Jason stepped out. "Hey," he nodded, when he saw Sonny, "what's going on?"  
  
"Let's talk on the way to the warehouse," Sonny said, as he led Jason back in the elevator.  
  
***  
  
Emily walked downstairs to find Edward deep into another one of his tirades on the state of the way Emily was being raised by Alan and Monica. She heard him say that she was being allowed to roam disreputable "raves" and that's what got her kidnapped by this "deviant" Zander Smith. When he spotted her on the stairs, Edward came over to her, "things are going to be very different around her, young lady," he warned her.  
  
"Back off, Father," Alan warned in return. "You have no say whatsoever in how we raise Emily."  
  
"Alan."  
  
"That's enough, Edward!" Lila Quartermaine demanded, as she wheeled into the foyer. Lila was the one person in the family to whom Edward buckled. She didn't raise her voice much, but when she did, Edward knew she was serious.  
  
Em smiled down at Lila. "Thank you, Grandmother," she whispered, as she bent down to kiss her cheek.  
  
"Em, Cook has made you something to eat in the kitchen," Monica informed her, as she took Emily's arm and led her into the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse  
  
"So you think he'll cooperate?" Sonny asked Jason. He had just told him his plan of helping Zander beat the cop-killing rap, in exchange for his testimony against Joseph Sorel.  
  
"Yeah, I think it's possible," Jason agreed, adding, "but we don't know where he is now. The last time I saw him, he was on his way to Canada."  
  
Sonny knew what to do. He called Benny and arranged for some men to look for Zander in Canada. When he hung up the phone, he turned to Jason. "Benny's on the job." Changing the subject, he asked, "how's Emily doing?"  
  
"I called over there a couple hours ago," Jason replied, "Reginald said she was still sleeping, but she seemed to be okay."  
  
They heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Sonny called out.  
  
"Sonny? I'm glad you're here," Emily said, as she rushed into the room. "I need your help, we need your help."  
  
"Emily, what's wrong?" Jason's question hung in the air as Emily stepped aside to let her companion walk in the room.  Zander Smith.  
  
***  
  
Angel walked down the hall to Sonny's penthouse. "Hi, Johnny, right?" she smiled at the bodyguard. "Is Mr. Corinthos home?"  
  
Johnny smiled at her. "No, he's out, Ms. Morrissey."  
  
"Call me Angel, please," she told him. "Can you tell him I stopped by?"  
  
"I'm sure Mr. Corinthos wouldn't mind if you waited for him, Angel," Johnny told her, opening the door. "Just make yourself comfortable."  
  
"Thank you, Johnny," Angel smiled again, as she walked in. After Johnny closed the door behind him, she looked around the room. Tasteful decoration, she thought to herself, but a little sterile. She walked over to the fireplace and looked at the pictures. She saw one of a little boy of three and smiled. Moving down the line, she saw one of a young couple obviously in love. She came to another picture of Sonny and a beautiful woman, taken on their wedding day. He was smiling but Angel could see something missing from his eyes.  
  
Carly spotted her as she was coming downstairs and slowed her pace to watch Angel unnoticed. As Angel picked up the photos one by one, Carly watched her with disdain. Who was this woman, Carly fumed. Finally, Carly had had enough. She stepped forward and demanded, "who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"  
  
Startled, Angel turned around and stared at Carly**.


	12. Angel and Carly meet

**Author's Note: I decided that I have neglected this story for far too long. Let me remind you that I have no affiliation with General Hospital, ABC or Disney. This is all for fun. Please read and review.  
  
  
  
  
  
True Love Never Dies  
  
Chapter Twelve-Angel and Carly meet  
  
Sonny, Jason, Emily and Zander all piled into Sonny's limousine. As they drove back to Sonny's penthouse, Sonny and Jason talked to Zander about turning state's evidence against Sorel. Sonny offers to protect him from Sorel until after the trial was over, but Zander is apprehensive. He knows all too well the lengths that Joseph Sorel would go to get what he wants.  
  
Zander also questioned Sonny's motives. "Why do you want to help me?" he asked.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Sonny said simply, "Because getting Sorel out of the picture works for me too."  
  
Zander thought for a minute. Looking over at Emily, he could see in her eyes that she trusted what Sonny was saying. Turning back to Sonny, he agreed, "Okay, I'll do it."  
  
***  
  
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?" Carly demanded again. She stared at Angel with a defiant look on her face. She looked ready to pounce if Angel stepped out of line.  
  
Angel regained her composure. "I'm sorry?" she began, wondering who Carly was, "I'm waiting for Michael Corinthos, and this is his place."  
  
"Oh, really?" Carly asked, as she descended the rest of the way down the stairs, "and what do you want with 'Michael'?"  
  
"He's a friend of mine from way back," Angel answered, adding, "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Angel Morrissey."  
  
Carly laughed. "Angel? That's your name? What kind of a name is 'Angel'?"  
  
Angel frowned, getting annoyed with Carly. "I'm sorry, but exactly who are you?" she asked.  
  
"I'm Carly, Sonny's fiancée," she replied with a grin.  
  
Angel was taken aback. "Fiancée?" she repeated, "Michael didn't say he was getting married." Pausing, she added, "as a matter of fact, he didn't even say he was involved with anyone."  
  
"Well, maybe you're not close enough friends with him like you thought you were," Carly retorted. "Now, why don't you take your pretty little self and get the hell out of my house?"  
  
"Carly!"  
  
Angel and Carly turned to the doorway where Sonny stood, glaring at Carly. He looked over at Angel. "Are you okay?" he inquired.  
  
Angel nodded. "Yes, of course," she assured him, giving him a sympathetic smile. She knew he was annoyed at Carly, it was written all over his face.  
  
Sonny looked over at Carly. "Go upstairs," he ordered. "I have business to attend to."  
  
Carly scoffed. "You can't order me around, Sonny," she raged. "If I want to."  
  
Sonny interrupted her, "Carly, don't make me say it again."  
  
Furious, Carly turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs. When she was out of earshot, Sonny turned again to Angel. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," he apologized, adding with a grin that showed off his dimples, "most people don't know how to take Carly, but you seem to have handled yourself alright."  
  
Angel chuckled. "Well, let's just say I'm used to temperamental, umm... people," she winked, "after all, I am a preschool teacher."  
  
Jason poked his head in the doorway. "Sonny? Is it okay for the kids to come in?"  
  
Sonny turned to Jason. "Yeah, bring them in. Carly's upstairs."  
  
Angel watched with interest as Zander and Emily followed Jason into the penthouse. She could tell something was up, something serious. "Angel, meet Jason Morgan, a good friend of mine."  
  
"Hi again," Angel said to Jason, "we've met already, yesterday morning," she added to Sonny.  
  
"Nice to see you again," Jason smiled.  
  
"This is Jason's little sister, Emily, and Zander Smith," Sonny said, adding with a smile that showed off his trademark dimples, "unless you've already met them also?"  
  
Angel laughed. "No, I haven't." To the kids, she smiled, "I'm Angel."  
  
Sonny took Angel to the side. "What are you doing here?" he asked, "Did we have plans?"  
  
Angel shook her head. "Oh, no, I just came over to visit. Johnny said I could wait inside and then I met Carly."  
  
"And the rest is history," Sonny grinned. "Well, if it's not serious, can we talk later?" He gestured at the kids. "I have something to take care of."  
  
Angel understood immediately. "Is there something I could do to help? They seem pretty scared to me, Michael," she offered to help.  
  
Sonny shook his head. "No, that's okay, I got it handled," he told her, "I'll call you later."  
  
Leading her to the door, he leaned in close to kiss her cheek, "thanks for coming by, I forgot how nice it was to be able to see you every day."  
  
As Angel left Sonny turned to the others. "I'm going to go get Alexis," he told them, "we could use her expertise on this matter."  
  
He walked to Alexis' door and rapped twice. "Alexis, it's Sonny," he called through the door.  
  
Alexis opened the door. Her glasses were perched on her nose. Peering at him over the top of her glasses, she asked, "What's going on? You think more about marrying Carly?"  
  
Shaking his head, Sonny told her, "No, I told you that's not going to happen." Shifting his weight, he asked, "Can you come over to my place? I have a business proposition."  
  
Alexis laid her book on her desk and followed Sonny out the door, locking it as she exited.  
  
***  
  
Sonny, Alexis, Jason and the kids were deep in conversation when there was a knock on the door. They could hear Johnny talking to someone in the hallway. "You're going to have to wait, Lieutenant, Mr. Corinthos is busy."  
  
Taggert was back. With a sigh, Sonny opened the door. "What is it now, Taggert?" he asked, exasperated, "Carly is sleeping now, so you can't hassle her now."  
  
Taggert brushed past Johnny to let himself in the penthouse. "Well, you're going to have to wake her up," he said, "I want to talk to her..." His thought trailed off when he noticed who was sitting on the couch. "Well, well, well, look who we have here," he said, gleefully, "Zander Smith, cop killer."  
  
Emily stood up to defend Zander. "He didn't do anything wrong, Taggert."  
  
Standing up, Zander stopped her. "Emily, don't," he began, "Taggert isn't going to believe you."  
  
Taggert nodded. "You got that right, kid. Now, are you going to come with me peacefully or," he cracked his knuckles, "do we do this the hard way?"  
  
"Hold on there, Taggert," Alexis stepped forward, "you don't have to threaten Zander. We were just discussing the idea of Zander turning himself in."  
  
"Zander, turn himself in? And he decided to come to the crime lord's lair?"  
  
  
  
Please read and review! I look forward to your feedback.**


	13. Zander in Trouble

Author's Note:  The action is starting to happen! LOL. Hope you enjoy this!  Please read & review!  Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation with GH, ABC or Disney. True Love Never Dies 

**Chapter Thirteen-Zander in trouble**

**            Taggert took great pleasure in hauling Zander into the police station.  Alexis and Sonny followed and met Zander in the squad room.  Alexis walked right up to Mac Scorpio.  "My client, Zander Smith, wishes to turn himself in," she told him. **

**            Mac looked over at Zander, who was being handcuffed to one of the desks.  "It doesn't look like he came in on his own, counselor," Mac remarked.**

**            "Looks are deceiving, Commissioner," Alexis told him, matter-of-factly.  "The point is, when Taggert showed up…to harass Carly Benson again, I might add…I was in meeting with my client as to the appropriate action to take to turn himself in."**

**            Mac sighed.  Sometimes he wished he had never taken the job as Commissioner.  It really didn't suit him; he was more of a risk-taking, troublemaker himself.  All his life, he was the one who always getting into trouble and it was his brother Robert who always bailed him out.  But ever since Robby was killed, Mac had to grow up.  He had to when Robin, his brother's daughter, was placed under his care.**

**            Across the room, Sonny walked over to Zander, who was looking sullen in his chair.  Sullen and very scared.  "Don't worry," Sonny tried to tell Zander, to settle his nerves, "Alexis knows what's she doing."**

**            Zander looked up.  "Where's Emily?"**

**            Sonny had insisted that Jason take Emily home.  "Home," he told Zander.  Seeing the relief on his face, Sonny asked, "you care for her?"**

**            Zander paused before nodding his head.  It was beyond "caring", but he didn't want to tell Sonny that.**

**            Alexis walked over to the two of them.  "Okay, you're going to be arraigned in the morning," she stated.**

**            Before Sonny could ask Alexis what was next, Taggert came up behind them.  "Time to go get booked, Smith," he said, with a sneer.**

**            As Taggert hauled him to his feet, Zander looked over at Alexis as if to say, _'what now?'_**

**            Alexis reassured him that she would be working to get him out as soon as possible.  Taggert led Zander out of the squad room as Alexis pulled out her legal pad to jot down some notes.  Sonny stood quietly watching her work.  She sensed him watching her and looked up.  "Yes?  You need something else?"**

**            Sonny grinned.  "You're really good at what you do, you know that?"**

**            Alexis sighed.  "What do you want now?" she asked, **

**            Sonny laughed out loud, his dimples deepening.  "You're paranoid, you **

**know that?"**

**            Alexis smiled at him.  "Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean you don't want something."**

**            Sonny grinned.  "Okay, there is something," he admitted, adding in his own defense, "but you are good at what you do…that wasn't just a snow job."**

**            "What do you want, Corinthos?"**

**            "I need Zander to stay in jail."**

**            Raising her eyebrows, Alexis looked at him in shock.  "I've never been asked to _keep_ a client in jail before."**

**            "He'll be safer there," Sonny told her.  "When Sorel finds out that Zander will turn state's evidence against him for Ted Wilson's murder, he'll do whatever he can to get rid of him."**

**            Alexis hadn't thought of that.  She was concentrating so hard on Zander she didn't even think of Sorel's possible retaliation.  She knew that Sonny was right…_Zander was safer in jail._  Now how was she going to convince Zander, and Emily for that matter, of that fact?**

**********

**            Emily paced her room.  She wanted to be down at the police station with Zander but Jason had insisted on bringing her home.  Picking up her journal for the millionth time, she sat down on the edge of her bed.  _'What do I feel right now?? Is it more than caring???  Is it love?? I thought I was in love with Juan, but…'_**

**            Hearing a knock on the door, Emily hid her journal underneath her mattress.  "Come in!" she called out, stretching out on her bed, trying to act casual.**

**            Alan opened the door and stuck his head in.  "You feel up to company?" he asked, with a smile.**

**            Sitting up, Emily smiled.  "Sure, come in."**

**            Alan sat down on the bed next to Emily.  "How are you feeling, Em?" he asked her.**

**            Emily paused.  She had so many emotions rumbling around in her head, she didn't know how she felt from one minute to the next.  She opened her mouth to say something, but instead broke into tears.  Sobbing, she fell into Alan's arms, letting him comfort her as best he could.**

**            "Oh, Em, I wish you could tell me how to help you," he told her.**

**            Pulling herself together, Emily sat up.  Wiping the tears away with the back of her hands, she smiled weakly.  "It's nothing, Dad," she insisted, "I'm okay now."**

**            She stood up and walked to the dresser.  _Eek!_  Her hair was a mess.  She grabbed a hairbrush and began the task of taming her long hair.**

**            Alan watched her.  "You can't hide your feelings, Em," he admonished, "it'll eat you up inside."**

**            Emily stopped.  Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Alan.  "You're right, Dad, I have to stop doing that," she admitted.  Taking a deep breath, she blurted out, "I'm in love with Zander Smith."**


	14. I Trust You

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the characters of General Hospital; they belong to the ABC/Disney Corporation.  TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES 

**Chapter Fourteen: I Trust You**

**            Sonny arrived home a few hours later, but instead of going into his own penthouse, he went across the hall to Angel's.  "Hi," he said softly, when she opened the door.  "Want some company?"**

**            Angel smiled.  "Of course," she replied, pulling him into the penthouse, "I always enjoy seeing you."**

**            She led him to the couch where they sat down.  "Is everything okay with you?" she asked, concerned.  "How's that kid, um…Zander, right?"**

**            Sonny nodded.  "He'll be alright," he assured her, "he got into some trouble, but I'll take care of him."**

**            "That's what you do best, you know," Angel said.  "You always looked out for me when we were younger."**

**            Sonny smiled back at her.  He always felt so much better around Angel.  No matter how stressed he felt, Angel could always calm him down.  She knew him better than anyone else.  Even now, after a 20-year separation, he felt like they hadn't been apart more than a day.**

**            "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" she asked, adding, "You don't have to answer if you don't want.  I'll understand."**

**            Sonny paused.  "It's okay," he asked, deciding that he didn't want to hide anything from her.**

**            "Well, I just wondered," she began, "I've noticed that some people, no, everyone calls you 'Sonny'."**

**            "Yeah, so?"**

**            "Well, I just wondered…why?"  Angel asked him, "I mean, I remember how much you hated when Deke would call you 'Sonny-Boy'.  Why would you take that name willingly?"**

**            Sonny was surprised.  "Well, I don't really know why," he began, "when I left Brooklyn, I knew that I had to change who I was in a way, in order to survive on the streets.  Changing my name was the first step.  It enabled me to do some of the things I did without having the guilt attached to it.  Kind of like it wasn't really me doing them, you know?"**

**            Angel nodded.  "I can't even imagine some of the things you had to do," she whispered.**

**            Sonny took her hand.  He had an overwhelming urge to tell her everything he had been through over the years.  They talked for hours.  He told her things about his life that he hadn't thought he could tell anyone.  Angel didn't act shocked and she didn't judge him.  She merely listened.  When he was finished, Sonny was glad he had confided in Angel.**

**            As she laid her head on his shoulder, she looked up at him.  "Can I ask you something else?" she smiled.**

**            Sonny laughed.  "Anything."**

**            "Is it okay if I still called you 'Michael'?"**

**            "I would love that," Sonny whispered, as he kissed her forehead.**

*********

Later             Sonny was stretched out on Angel's couch.  She was asleep with her head on his chest when he heard his cell phone ring.  Angel stirred as he stretched his arm to reach inside his jacket, which was draped over the back of the couch. 

            **"Sorry," he whispered, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.  He opened his phone.  "Yeah," he said gruffly.**

**            "Sonny, it's Jason, we have a situation," Jason told him, getting to the point of the call.**

**            Sonny listened as Jason told him about Zander's latest predicament.  Someone had gotten to him in lockup and scared him pretty bad.  Zander had called Alexis and begged her to get him released.  Sonny knew it was useless to ask what happened to his man on the police force because Sorel surely had his own men in the precinct that could get to Zander if he wanted.  Jason was on his way to the penthouse with Zander and Alexis to talk to Sonny about where Zander would be safest.**

**            After his conversation, Sonny snapped his phone closed and turned to Angel.  She sat patiently, waiting for him to conclude his business.  "I have to go," he told her, reluctantly.**

**            "Is everything okay?" Angel asked, "Is it Zander?"**

**            Sonny nodded, walking to the door.  He opened the front door and they stepped into the hallway.**

**            "I'm glad you came over, Michael," Angel told him, "I hope we can do it again."**

**            Sonny touched her face tenderly.  "Yeah, me too," he whispered.**

**            At that moment, the elevator dinged and the doors opened.  Jason stepped out first, followed by Alexis and then Zander.  Sonny nodded at them.  "Let's go across the hall," he told them, leading the way to his penthouse.**

**            Before she turned to go back inside, Angel looked over at Zander.  Her heart went out to him.  He looked scared.  Angel caught his eye and smiled.  "You okay?"**

**            Zander nodded nervously.  "I just want this to be over already," he told her, "then maybe I can get my life back."**

**            Just then, Angel got an idea.  She could give Zander a little bit of what he craves.  "How would you like to stay at my place?" she asked him, nodding her head toward her penthouse.  "I mean, it's not exactly having your life back but at least you'll be comfortable."**

**            Sonny heard Angel's offer and turned around.  "Angel, you don't have to do this."**

**            As he took her aside, she assured him.  "I want to do this, Michael," she said.  Looking back at Zander, she continued, "look at him, he's so scared, he needs to be somewhere where he's more than just safe.  He needs something of a home.  Do you think he can get that living at your place with your other houseguest?"**

**            Sonny smirked.  "You got me there, but I don't think you fully understand how dangerous his situation really is."**

**            "Michael, this place is like a fortress," she reminded him, "don't think I haven't noticed that since I've been living here.  No one gets on this floor without your bodyguards knowing."**

**            Sonny thought for a minute.  He knew she was right about one thing.  If he moved Zander into his penthouse, Carly would be all up in his business, demanding to know what was going on.  "Hey Zander," he called the boy, "come over here a sec."**

**            Zander didn't know what to expect as he approached Sonny.  He wouldn't admit it anyone, but Sonny scared him.  Not as much as Sorel did, but he scared him nonetheless.**

**            Sonny nodded at him.  "You remember Angel, right?"  Zander nodded in affirmation.  "You're going to be staying at Angel's place across the hall," Sonny told him, adding, "at least until the trial."**

**            Zander looked at Angel.  He didn't know her any more than he knew Sonny but there was something about her that made him trust her.  "Okay," he said finally, "if it's alright with her."**

**            With Angel's affirmation, it was decided.  Instead of going into his penthouse, Sonny led everyone into Angel's.  While Sonny, Jason and Alexis resumed their business, Angel took Zander upstairs to show him the room in which he'd be staying.**


	15. Starting Over?

**Author's Note:  I thought it was time I updated this story and advance the plot.  LOL.  In this chapter, Sonny and Angel find out some shocking news.  It's set six months from the last chapter.  Hope you like it.  Please review!**

**Disclaimer:  All rights to General Hospital and its' characters belong to ABC and Disney.**

**Chapter Fifteen:  Starting Over?**

**Zander walked out of the courtroom in a daze.  'It's over.  It's really over,' he thought to himself.  After a long trial, Joseph Sorel had just been convicted of the murder of Officer Ted Wilson.  It was Zander's testimony that had been deciding factor.  He had taken the stand and told all that had happened the night in the motel room and how Sorel had plunged the needle full of heroin into Wilson's arm after Zander couldn't do it.**

**Escorted out of the courtroom by two uniformed policemen, Sorel spotted Zander and lunged for him.  "I should have killed you that night, you punk!" he spat out.**

**Zander backed away before Sorel could grab him.  Sonny walked out of the courtroom just in time to see Sorel's guards pull him away from Zander.  "You have nobody to blame for this but yourself, Sorel," Sonny sneered.  "You're a stupid man."**

**The policemen pulled Sorel away before he could continue his rant.  Sonny turned to Zander.  His face was frozen with a mixture of shock and fear.  "You okay?" Sonny asked.**

**Zander shook himself.  "Yeah, I'm---I'm fine," he tried to assure Sonny as well as himself.  He breathed a sigh of relief.  "I can't believe it's really over."**

**Sonny smiled.  "Well, believe it," he told Zander, "cause it's true."**

**At that moment, Emily arrived.  "Zander!" she called out, rushing into his arms.  "I wanted to be here for you, but Grandfather was being his difficult self again.  How did it go?"**

**Zander hugged Emily tight.  "It's over, Em, it's really over," he told her, "Sorel's going to prison for a long time, if not forever."**

**Emily pulled away.  "ohmigod!  Really?  That's the best news I've heard in months!"**

**Sonny decided to give Zander and Emily some time to be alone.  The past few months had been hard for them with the danger of Sorel on the loose surrounding them.  They deserved some happiness now.  **

*********

**A couple of hours later at Sonny's penthouse…**

**Sonny paced as he waited for a phone call to come through.  He turned as the door opened and Jason walked in.  Nodding at his best friend, Sonny asked, "Have you heard anything about Zander?"**

**Jason shook his head.  "Nothing," he told him, "Sonny, it's like this guy never existed before 1993."**

**"You know what this means, right?" Sonny asked, "We have no idea who this kid really is."**

**There was a knock on the door.  "Yeah," Sonny called out, as Johnny opened the door.  "Uh, sir?  It's Felicia Jones."**

**Felicia walked in.  "You got anything for me?" Sonny asked her, gesturing her to have a seat.  Jason sensed the personal nature of Felicia's visit and backed out of the room.**

**"I'm sorry I didn't call," Felicia began, "I know I told you I would, but I thought I should talk to you in person."  She reached into her bag and pulled out a well-worn file.  "This is what I have on your little boy," she said, handing it to Sonny.  "Well, I guess he's not a little boy now."**

**"Angel should be here," Sonny said, as he began leafing through the file.  "She hasn't gotten home from school yet."**

**Sonny and Angel had grown closer the past few months.  They discovered that the love they shared had never disintegrated.  They spent as much time together as they could.  With their rediscovered closeness, they had decided to try to look for their son.  **

**Sonny was quiet as he read what Felicia had uncovered about his son.  _'His son.'_  Sonny still had trouble sometimes wrapping his mind around the idea that he had a son---a grown son---somewhere in the world.  As he continued to read, he found many documents concerning the boy's life, but Sonny realized that the file wasn't as full as it should be.  He noticed that the reports stopped after a certain year.  Looking up at Felicia, he inquired, "Where's the rest of it?"**

**Felicia knew what he meant.  "That's it, Sonny," she said, quietly.  "There is no more information about your son that I can find anywhere.  I went to the town where he was raised, Jacksonville, Florida, and found nothing past the age of twelve."**

**Sonny was incredulous.  "Nothing?  That's impossible, he couldn't have just disappeared."**

**"If there was anything, I couldn't find it," Felicia told him.**

**At that moment, the door opened.  "Thank you, Johnny," Angel said, as she juggled a bag of groceries with her purse, which was threatening to fall off her shoulder.  She smiled when she saw Sonny but stopped in her tracks when she spotted Felicia.  She knew that Sonny was expecting news about their son and her heart stopped as she anticipated what Felicia had discovered.**

**Sonny stood up and strode over to Angel to retrieve the bag.  "Felicia has news," he told her, "come sit down while I take this into the kitchen.  Felicia will fill you in."**

**Angel joined Felicia on the couch.  She listened as Felicia told her what she had just told Sonny.  When Sonny came out of the kitchen, they asked her what the last piece of information she had on him.**

**"I talked to a neighbor, Matilda Pierson, who told me that Zander was a nice boy who mowed her lawn every summer."**

**Sonny blinked.  "What did you say?  Zander?" _'How could he have missed that,' he wondered._  The boy's name!  Sonny went back to the first page of the report---_Michael Alexander Roberts._  He looked at Angel.  He could tell she was thinking the same thing.  _'Could the kid who was living across the hall be their son?'_**

**Sonny stood up and went over to his desk.  He pulled out the file he had on Zander.  _'What was it that Jason said?' he asked himself, 'no information on Zander Smith before 1993.'_  Returning to the couch, he compared the two files.  His findings were consistent with his theory.  Zander seemed to appear at the same time that their son disappeared.  But the thought that the two boys were one in the same was too coincidental.  Zander had been living with Angel for the past six months---how could they not have known?**

**Felicia sensed that they needed some time alone and began gathering her things.  "If you want, I can continue digging," she told Sonny, as she stood up, "maybe I'll find something new."**

**Sonny stood up to show her out.  "Thank you, Felicia," he began, "we can't even begin to tell you how much we appreciate what you've done so far."**

**After Felicia left, Angel turned to Sonny.  "What do we do now?" she asked Sonny.  _'How do we go about finding out whether Zander was their son,'_ she wondered.**

*********

**(Sorry to end this chapter this way, but hey, I have to leave you wanting more, don't I? LOL.  I promise I won't make you wait too long.  Please review!!)**


	16. Who is Zander?

Author's Note: Okay, I did it again. I neglected this story. If you've been waiting, I'm sorry to leave you in suspense. I'm not going to make a promise not to do it again, cause well, I probably will (I don't have the longest attention span. LOL), so what I'll do is promise to _try_ not to do it again. Okay? Okay. Anyway, enjoy!

True Love Never Dies 

Chapter Sixteen: Who is Zander? 

Zander was stunned. Sonny and Angel had just shared with him the news from Felicia. The two files lay open in front of him. Zander could see the parallels between them. He knew why they would wonder if he was the person they were looking for…their son. "You think I'm the son you gave up at birth?" he asked, looking at Angel.

"Unless you tell us differently, yes, that's what we believe," Sonny told him.

"What do you think I could tell you?"

Sonny sighed. "The truth, Zander, about who you really are."

Zander looked pained. He didn't like to talk about his past. It held too many painful memories. Even Emily, who probably knew him better than anyone, didn't know everything about his past.

Angel saw the turmoil on Zander's face. She reached forward and touched his arm. "I'm sorry for putting you through this, but we really need to know, Zander."

Zander gazed into her eyes. Suddenly, he didn't feel nervous. He knew he could trust Angel. Ever since he had moved in, they had forged a friendship.

Rubbing his face with one hand, Zander exhaled slowly. "I've never told anyone everything about my past," he began, "even Emily doesn't know everything. I mean, she knows bits & pieces, but not everything." He paused. "I'm adopted. I've known my whole life." Zander laughed bitterly. "My _parents_ made a point of telling me over and over. Every year, they told and re-told the story of how _'Zander came into our family'_." He looked up at Sonny and Angel. "I was a birthday present for my sister, Carly. Right before her eighth birthday, she went to her parents and told them what she wanted: a baby brother. So, since she _always_ got what she wanted, they set out right away to get one for her.

"Don't get me wrong," he warned them, "I don't hate her for that. No, I loved my sister. She was the only person who paid any attention to me. The parents were too busy to deal with me. But my life was great, considering, cause Carly was there, then…" his voice trailed off.

"What happened, Zander?" Angel asked, her voice full of concern.

"She got a brand-new car for her sixteenth birthday," Zander revealed. His face was blank, looking at nothing, reliving the day in his head. "She drove it to school and…and never came home." His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "A drunk driver rammed into her car as she was pulling out of the school's parking lot. Carly died instantly and so did my family.

"Life at home became a ghost town. I was basically left to fend for myself," Zander continued. "Oh, I had people to feed and clothe me, but no one there to talk to…not really. The servants worked for the parents." He looked back at Sonny and Angel. "I lived that way for five years until finally I had enough. I decided to leave and never look back. I was twelve years old. I figured that they would look for me, not out of a sense of love but because they felt they had to. So, I changed my name."

"Why Smith?" Sonny asked.

"Why not? It's the most common name in the U.S., right?"

Sonny understood. "This leaves us to the question of the day, Zander. You've read this report," he continued, holding the file Felicia had made, "are you this kid? Are you Michael Alexander Roberts, raised in Tallahassee, Florida? Adopted by Cameron and Faye Roberts?"

Zander's silence was deafening and seemed to last eons. Finally, taking a breath, he uttered one word, "no."

Angel gasped. She had been so certain and her disappointment was so deep tears began to fall. She made a sound as Sonny wrapped his arms around her. Without a word, Zander stood up and walked out the door. He walked past Johnny and punched the elevator button. Only when he was safely inside with the doors closed did he allow himself to break down. He slumped to the floor of the elevator and cried. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he kept repeating as he sobbed, his body rocking.

----

Zander made his way to the Quartermaine estate. He climbed the tree outside Emily's window and knocked softly.

"Zander, what's wrong?" Emily asked, seeing the stricken look on his face.

Zander climbed inside the room and began pacing. Emily tried to keep up with him. "I don't know why I did it, Em, help me figure it out."

Emily took his arm and steered him to the window seat. "Zander, tell me what happened. What did you do?"

"I just lied to my parents."

To be continued…

(aha! I bet you hate me now, don't ya? LOL. Sorry to leave you like this, but I had to do a cliffhanger thing, if only for myself. See, this gives me incentive to come back as soon as possible. Doesn't that make sense? ;-) Anyway, please, please, please review! You know how to do it. I live for feedback.)


	17. Facing the Truth

**Author's Note: See? I told you the cliffhanger would work. LOL. Enjoy! Oh, btw, the only things I own from this story are the characters I created and the plot. **

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**True Love Never Dies**

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**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

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**Chapter Seventeen: Facing the Truth**

** "Zander, what do you mean you lied to your parents?" Emily asked, confused. "I don't understand. I thought you didn't speak to them."**

** Zander sighed. "Not those parents," he began, "I'm talking about my _real _parents."**

** "What? Wait, slow down, Zander," Emily told him, shaking her head. "Start from the beginning."**

** "The beginning," Zander exhaled, "that would be the part where I was given up for adoption." Emily reacted. "Yeah, I didn't tell you that, did I? Yeah, I was adopted. Remember my sister I told you about? I was adopted because she wanted a baby brother. When she died, my parents had no more use for me…not that they had any use for me before then. Carly was the only person who cared I existed."**

** Emily put her hand on Zander's arm. "I'm sorry, Zander. You never told me your sister died."**

** Zander smiled at Emily. "Thanks." Emily's comforting did a lot to calm his jumbled nerves. After a few quiet moments, Zander took a deep breath and continued his story.**

** "When I left home, I changed my name," he began, "and I never looked back. That is, until now. Sonny did a background check on me and he found things that didn't add up."**

** "Why would Sonny investigate you?" Emily wanted to know.**

**Zander shrugged. "He said he needed to find out if he could trust me since I was a big part in the case against Sorel," he replied. He went on to tell her about Sonny and Angel's suspicions about his identity. "I told them they were wrong about who I was but I lied," Zander admitted, "I am their son. Everything in that file was about me, about my life."**

** "Zander, why did you lie?" Emily asked, quietly, "I know how much being a part of a family, a _real _family, means to you."**

** "I don't know," Zander told her, "I was _thisclose_ to telling Angel but it meant also telling Sonny…" He paused, shaking his head. "I'm not ready for that. Telling Angel would be so easy but Sonny…"**

** Emily gave him a small smile, indicating she understood. She knew that Zander and Sonny had a difficult relationship. During the past few months, the two of them constantly found themselves at odds because they rarely agreed on anything. Sonny was always on Zander's case to keep a low profile during the Sorel trial but Zander refused to abide by Sonny's rules.**

** Zander stood up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," he told her. "Let's get out of here."**

** "Zander…" Emily knew he was trying to avoid the situation and thought about forcing him to talk, but decided not to push him. Zander would only shut down. Changing tactics, she asked him, "Where do you want to go?"**

** "I don't know…Kelly's?" he suggested, "I haven't eaten all day and I'm starved."**

** Emily agreed and they left her room. On their way downstairs, Edward appeared in the foyer. Seeing Zander, he became incensed. "What is that deviant doing here?" he bellowed.**

** "Grandfather, can it," Emily told him. "We were just leaving." She reached into the closet and pulled out her jacket.**

** "Leaving? Was he in your room, Emily?" Edward glared at Zander. "Young man, if you've done anything to my granddaughter, I'll have you arrested."**

** "Edward, that's quite enough!" Lila Quartermaine ordered, as she wheeled into the foyer. "Leave these children alone this instant."**

** "But Lila," Edward interjected, but she held up her hand.**

** "I don't want to hear it, Edward," she informed him. She turned to Emily. "Where are you going, Emily dear?"**

** "We're going to get something to eat at Kelly's, Grandmother," Emily replied, bending down to kiss her. "Thanks."**

** Once they left, Edward turned to Lila. "Lila, my dear, you are entirely too trusting."**

** "And you, Edward, are entirely too cynical," Lila replied as she wheeled herself into the parlor for afternoon tea.**

**--------**

** Sonny sat alone in the penthouse deep in thought. Angel had gone back across the hall to check in with Nicholas a few hours before, leaving Sonny alone. He glanced around the penthouse. It seemed so quiet when she wasn't around. It was almost as if the penthouse missed her too. She hadn't officially moved in, but they spent a lot of time together and had become even closer than ever before. At first, Sonny thought it was their common interest in their son, but he realized that when she wasn't around, she remained foremost on his mind.**

** The front door opened then and Angel walked in. "Sonny?" she called out. Seeing him on the sofa, she hurried over to him. "I'm glad you're home," she began as she sat next to him. "Zander's not home yet."**

** "Okay, well, he's of age, Angel," Sonny reminded her, "he doesn't really have a curfew anymore."**

** "I know, but Sorel's men are still out there," Angel replied, "what if…"**

** She didn't have to complete her thought. Sonny understood. Nodding, he walked over to the door and opened it. "Johnny, I need you to call downstairs. Talk to Max and have him get some guys together and go out and look for Zander and bring him home," he said simply.**

** Johnny nodded, pulling out his cell phone. "You got it, boss."**

** Sonny closed the door and turned to Angel. "Better?" he smiled at her.**

** Angel returned the smile. "Thank you," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I still care about him, you know?"**

** Sonny wrapped his arms around her. He caressed her head as she pressed her cheek against his chest. "I know, baby, I know."**

** "I was just…so _sure_," she sniffed, "my instincts were screaming at me, _'It's him! I know it's him!'_ that when he said no, it was like something inside me broke."**

** Sonny continued to comfort her until she pulled away. She sighed. "Oh, god, look at me crying again," she admonished herself, wiping her eyes, "I must look a mess."**

** Sonny looked at her solemnly. "No, you don't, you look beautiful."**

** Angel glanced at him. "You need glasses, Corinthos," she giggled.**

** Sonny shook his head, taking her hand. "No, I see you fine. I see the real you," he told her. "You're beautiful."**

** He took a step closer and brought his face near hers. Their lips brushed and Sonny whispered her name. Angel responded to his touch by framing his face with her hands as he kissed her. **

**--------**

** Zander and Emily walked into Kelly's and found an empty table. Zander took her jacket and hung it up over his on the coat rack.**

** As he sat down, Elizabeth approached their table. "Hi guys, you want the usual? Hamburgers, fries, and chocolate shakes?"**

** Emily giggled. "Are we really that predictable, Liz?"**

** "Nah," Elizabeth replied laughing along with her friend, "I just know you too well."**

** As Elizabeth went into the kitchen to place their order, Zander looked out the window and spotted Marco, one of Sonny's bodyguards. "What is he doing here?" he exclaimed.**

**--------**

** Sonny and Angel parted when there was a knock at the door. "Yeah," Sonny called out reluctantly.**

** Johnny opened the door. "Boss? Marco just called in," he informed him, "he found Zander at Kelly's with Emily Quartermaine. You still want him to bring him in?"**

** Sonny glanced at Angel. There was nothing wrong with the kid out to eat with his girlfriend, he decided. Angel's eyes told him that she agreed. "Tell Marco to stay on Zander," Sonny ordered, "don't let him out of his sight."**

** "Will do, boss," Johnny nodded. He stepped out of the penthouse and closed the door behind him.**

** Sonny turned back to Angel. "So," he began awkwardly, "are you hungry?"**

** Angel chuckled. "You know what? I am," she told him, "I haven't eaten all day."**

** "Well, that's not good," Sonny warned her. "What do you say I grill some steaks for you, me and Nicholas and you make a salad? How does that sound?"**

** "Great," Angel smiled.**

** "Then let's get going," Sonny replied, as he led her into the kitchen.**

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**To be continued…**


	18. Zander begins the charade

**True Love Never Dies**

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**A General Hospital Fan-Fiction**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the characters I have created for this story. All GH characters are the property of GH, ABC/Disney.**

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**Chapter Eighteen: Zander begins the charade**

** Zander stared through the window of Kelly's. _What was Marco doing here? _He wondered.**

** Emily turned in her seat. "He's probably guarding you, Zander," she reminded him. "He's been following you for the past several months."**

** Instead of replying, Zander stood up and strode out of the diner. He nodded at the bodyguard. "What are you doing here, man?"**

** Marco was amused. He knew the last thing Zander wanted was to be followed but that wasn't his concern. He had his orders. "The boss wants you to be guarded so…" He knew he didn't have to finish his statement. Zander knew full well that Marco had orders to follow and he was going to comply.**

** Zander fumed. He stormed back in the diner and took his seat. He looked out the window and saw Marco smirking at him.**

** Emily patted his hand. "Let's forget about Marco, okay?" She suggested.**

** Zander dragged his gaze away from the window. He sighed. "I can't believe he sent a guard after me," he muttered, half to himself.**

** "Sonny's just trying to protect you," Emily told him, "he doesn't want you to be hurt or whatever Sorel's men might do to you." She shuddered thinking of the possibilities.**

** "It's not Sonny, Em," Zander pointed out, "Sonny couldn't care less what happened to me. He's doing this for Angel. _She_ cares."**

** "What's the difference," Emily shrugged. "The point is they care about you." She paused, considering her next words. "Which is why I still don't understand why you lied to them."**

**--------**

** Nicholas exited Penthouse One and strolled across the hall. "Hey Johnny, what's going on?" he greeted with a grin.**

** "Nothing much, your mom and Mr. Corinthos are waiting for you."**

** Nicholas started to open the door then stopped. "You know, Johnny, I've been wondering." He grinned. "Have you ever called Sonny by his name?"**

** Johnny chuckled. "Sure kid, all the time. His name is _'Mr. Corinthos'_."**

** Nicholas laughed at Johnny's joke and opened the door. He saw Angel coming out of the kitchen with a bowl and Sonny behind her carrying a platter. "Hi mom, hi Sonny."**

** Angel smiled at her son. "Good, I was just going to call you," she told him. "Did you wash up?"**

** Nicholas held up his hands. "All clean, mommy," he cracked.**

** Sonny laughed. "Okay, smart-aleck, come and eat."**

** Nicholas pulled out a chair and sat down. Sonny nudged him. "A gentleman always waits for the woman to sit before seating himself."**

** Nicholas watched as Sonny held out the chair for his mom. Angel smiled at Sonny as he took his place at the table. "Wow, that's cool, Sonny," he said, impressed. "Where did you learn to do that?"**

** Sonny grinned. "I'm just cool like that naturally." The three laughed heartily at Sonny's joke.**

**--------**

** After they finished eating, Zander and Emily left the diner. "I don't want to go home yet," Zander revealed. He thought about what he had said…_'home'_. He hadn't realized that Angel's penthouse had become home to him. How was he supposed to go back now? Now that he knew the truth.**

** "Are you going to continue staying at Angel's?" Emily asked him, as they sat down on a bench on the pier.**

** Zander remained thoughtful. "I don't know, Em," he said finally. "The truth is, I hadn't really thought about it."**

** "You wouldn't have to think about it if you told them the truth."**

** "I can't do that," Zander insisted, "at least not now."**

** Emily's brows arched. "Not now? What do you mean? What are you going to do?"**

** "I don't know exactly," he replied, deep in thought, "but I do know that before I tell Sonny and Angel they're my parents, I want them to know me, the _real_ me. And I want them to like me, not because I'm their son, but because of _me_."**

** Emily shook her head. "I don't know, Zander," she said, "how are you going to do that? By lying to them?"**

** "If that's what it takes, yeah."**

**--------**

** Sonny, Angel and Nicholas were finishing dinner when there was a knock on the door. Johnny opened the door to tell Sonny he was taking off for the night. "Also, boss, Zander just got in. He's across the hall."**

** Sonny and Angel shared a look. "Thank you, Johnny, see you tomorrow morning," Sonny said.**

** Nicholas pushed back his chair. "I'm going to go see what Zander's doing," he told them. "Dinner was great, Sonny."**

** Angel smiled at him. "I'll be over a little while, honey," she informed him, "after I help Sonny clean up." Nicholas nodded as he left. Angel looked over at Sonny. "We better get this started," she told him, with a grin.**

** Within thirty minutes, they had the kitchen and dining room sparkling. Sonny sighed as he looked at his clean kitchen. "Now see, this is exactly why I can _never_ let Mike cook," he said, with a smile, "he can never get the place looking this good."**

** Angel laughed when she saw the twinkle in Sonny's eye. "You're too finicky about your kitchen, you know that?"**

** Sonny cocked his head. His dimples were set deep on his face as he grinned at her. "You taking my father's side, are you?" Angel giggled as he used one arm to pull her close. "What should I do about this blatant disloyalty?" he whispered as he brought his mouth to hers.**

** She returned his kiss with equal feeling, threading her fingers through his thick curly hair. When they parted, Angel pulled away slightly.**

** "Don't go."**

** Angel framed his face with her hands and smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, Sonny," she whispered, "I'm here with you." She kissed him softly before pulling back again. "But I have to go check on Nicholas, make sure he has his term paper done," she added as she turned to go.**

** "That's all?" Sonny asked. He knew her well enough to know that Nicholas was not the only reason she wanted to go across the hall.**

** "I want to see how Zander is too," Angel admitted. "He left here earlier pretty abruptly. I want to make sure he's okay."**

** "Of course you do," Sonny smiled. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't." He paused. "Will you be back?" he asked, hopefully.**

** "As long as you want me."**

** "I want you forever," Sonny replied quietly as she walked out of the penthouse.**

**--------**

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** When she entered the penthouse, Angel found Zander reading a book by the window. "Hi there," she smiled. "Where's Nicholas?"**

** "Upstairs," Zander replied, "I think he's doing his homework."**

** Angel nodded. "My son, the mind-reader," she chuckled. "That's exactly what I was going to check up on." An awkward silence fell over the room. Zander looked up from his book when Angel finally cleared her throat.**

** "About earlier," Zander began, "I'm sorry about, well…"**

** Angel cut him off, shaking her head. "Don't Zander, you have nothing to apologize for," she told him, "we asked you a question and you answered it. Simple as that, no hard feelings, okay?"**

** Zander nodded. He watched as Angel ascended the stairs in search of Nicholas. He ached to tell her the truth. He knew she was a good mother; she had been treating him like a son ever since he moved in. But something was still stopping him. _Sonny._ Zander knew Sonny didn't think much of him now but he was determined to prove his worth.**

**To be continued…**


	19. A Magical Night

**True Love Never Dies**

**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

**Disclaimer: Next verse, same as the first. (You know the words…say it along with me) I own nothing except the characters I've created. All GH characters are the property of ABC/Disney.**

**Chapter Nineteen: A Magical Night**

** Nicholas closed his laptop with a flourish. "Whoo-hoo! It's done!" he exclaimed. His term paper was finished and saved on diskette ready to be turned in to his English teacher the next day. He stood up and high-fived his mother.**

** "Good job, honey," she enthused. "I'm proud of you."**

** Nicholas eyes shined with unabashed joy. "I can't wait till school's out for the holidays now," he gushed. "Two weeks of nothing to do but sleep and play video games."**

** Angel laughed at her son's plans. "Well, first you have to get through tomorrow and the next day," she reminded him. Kissing him on the cheek, she bid him goodnight. "Get some sleep, honey, I'll see you in the morning."**

** Angel left Nicholas to prepare for bed and descended the stairs. She looked in the mirror to check her appearance. She combed her hair and ran some lipstick over her lips. Satisfied with her appearance, she smiled at her reflection and headed for the door. Locking the door behind her, she walked across the hall and knocked on Sonny's door before letting herself in.**

** When she stepped into the penthouse, she gasped. In her absence, Sonny had turned the penthouse into a virtual fantasyland, complete with candles lit throughout the room and soft Latin music playing on the stereo. Angel saw Sonny waiting for her on the sofa. He had changed into a blue suit; his hair was slicked back with the gel he used. "Sonny," she breathed.**

** Sonny stood and extended his hand. "I was waiting for you."**

** When she joined him on the sofa, Sonny turned to the ice bucket sitting on the coffee table. Pouring two glasses, he told her, "This is from a friend's vineyard in Naples," he informed her.**

** "Naples, Italy?" Angel inquired, taking the glass he offered. He nodded as she sipped. "Mmm, this is really good. Tell your friend, I approve," she said, giggling.**

** Sonny chuckled. "I'll do that." He emptied his glass and poured another. "Do you need some more?"**

** Angel shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm not much of a drinker," she admitted. "This glass will go straight to my head." She sat back on the sofa and closed her eyes, enjoying the music playing. She hummed along with the melody. She felt Sonny lean back as well. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. Smiling, she said, "This is nice."**

** Sonny tilted his head on the sofa cushion so that it met hers. He took her hand and kissed it. "It sure is."**

** They sat quietly listening to the music for a long while. Neither had the urge to say anything, nor did they need to. Without saying, they both agreed to enjoy the moment of solitude for as long as they could.**

** Soon, the CD was over. In the ensuing silence, Sonny turned to Angel, caressing her face. "I like spending time with you," he whispered.**

** "I like spending time with you," Angel repeated.**

** Their faces inched closer together and their lips met. The kiss was at first tentative, then grew the more they let their feelings go. They parted briefly before resuming the kiss more passionately. Sonny's mouth trailed kisses down her neck. Instinctively, Angel's back arched. Sonny's hand wrapped around her waist and grasped her back to bring her body closer.**

** "Sonny." Angel panted his name.**

** Sonny pulled himself away to look into her eyes. "You call me Sonny now," he pointed out.**

** Angel smiled. "It's who you are," she stated, "it's the man you've become." She caressed his face with her left hand. "The boy I loved has grown into a man…a good man…a man who I've fallen in love with."**

** Sonny took her mouth in another kiss. Tears stung his eyes at Angel's heart-felt confession. His heart felt as if it could explode from being so full. When he released her again, he whispered, "I've fallen in love with you too…all over again."**

** Sonny held onto her hands as he led Angel into his bedroom. He kissed her fingertips shyly. "I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a little nervous," he told her, with a grin.**

** Angel took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him. Sonny laid his head on her shoulder and sighed. He felt relief immediately. Angel was the first to pull away. She framed his face and kissed each cheek. Before joining her mouth with his, she whispered, "make love to me, Sonny."**

** As they kissed, they moved over to the bed. Sonny broke the kiss and sat down on the bed. Angel straddled him and continued their kiss. They fell backward on the bed and Sonny rolled over, pinning Angel beneath him. He looked down at her. "You're even more beautiful now than you were 20 years ago." As he kissed her again, Angel began unbuttoning his shirt. Their lips parted as he stood to shed his shirt and pants. He rejoined her on the bed and they resumed kissing. Soon, Angel's clothes joined Sonny's on the floor by the bed.**

** Their lovemaking was magical. Despite their 20-year separation, there were no awkward moments between them. They moved in rhythm, anticipating the other's movements until they were rewarded with an earth-shattering climax.**

** Afterward, Sonny wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "I don't want you to leave ever," he whispered in her ear.**

** Angel snuggled closer to him and sighed. "You don't have to worry about that, baby," she told him, "I'm not going anywhere." They fell asleep minutes later, each with a smile on their face.**

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**To be continued…**

**(Sorry this is so short but I couldn't bear to add anything to interfere with Sonny and Angel's romantic reunion. BTW, if you think their reunion signals the end of the story, think again, because as you probably know about soap operas, just when things are going great for the lovebirds, something always happens to test them. This will be no exception. Something's going to happen soon…stay tuned to find out what. Please remember to review. Feedback is my lifeblood. I feed on it like a vampire feeds on, well, blood. Hehehe.)**


	20. A New Threat Emerges

**True Love Never Dies**

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**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

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**Disclaimer: after 19 chapters, do I really have to say it?**

**Chapter 20: A New Threat Emerges**

** The next morning, Angel awoke and reached for Sonny. Feeling an empty bed, she opened her eyes and squinted at the clock. _6:15 a.m._ Pulling the sheet up to her chin, she sat up. "Sonny?" she called out, expecting him to walk out of the bathroom. Not getting a response, she emerged from the bed. She slipped on Sonny's silk robe and headed for the bathroom. She turned on the water and cupped her hands under the tap. Quickly, she splashed the cold water on her face, feeling instantly more awake. Gathering her hair into a loose ponytail, she used Sonny's hand soap to cleanse her face.**

** Sonny walked out of the kitchen carrying a breakfast tray. He was dressed in workout pants and a sleeveless tee. He started for the stairs when there was a knock on the door. He laid the tray on the table and walked over to open the door. He was surprised to find Jason. "What are you doing here so early?" he asked, as he let him in.**

** Jason walked in with purpose. He looked serious as he turned to Sonny. "There's a problem."**

** "What kind of problem?"**

** "There's talk on the streets about Sorel's organization," Jason began, "someone's trying to take over."**

** "Any idea who?"**

** "Sorel's second in command…Rosco."**

**--------**

** Victor Rosco strolled onto the dock at Pier 52. He sniffed the air with satisfaction. He loved the smell of cold weather. Most people couldn't stand the cold but having been raised in the icy tundra that was Ukraine, Rosco was used to it. He _thrived_ on it.**

** His companion wasn't as thrilled as he to be out in the elements. "Can we go inside now?" Faith whined.**

** Victor looked at her with disdain. He had been married to Faith for little under a year and already he was tired of her. Luckily for him, he was a handsome man so he had no trouble finding other women to amuse him. Faith served her purpose as his wife so his wife she would remain. "Don't be such a baby," he ordered, "I have business."**

** Faith pouted and sat down on the nearby bench. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to think warm thoughts. _Bali, Bora Bora, the Bahamas._ These were just a few of the locations she could be ever so much happier to spend the holidays but Victor insisted on staying in Port Charles.**

** Soon, a man approached Victor and shook his hand. "What do you have for me?" Victor asked.**

** "Everyone has agreed to stand up for you," the man answered.**

** "Excellent!" Victor turned to Faith beaming. "You see? I'm on my way, baby!"**

** "Okay, good," Faith answered, "_now_ can we go inside?" She ignored his scowl as she stood and walked toward the car.**

**--------**

** Sonny and Jason were talking strategy when Jason noticed Angel coming down the stairs. "Good morning," she greeted, "you two are up early."**

** "Mornin'," Jason drawled as she wrapped her arms around Sonny's middle. He looked up at Sonny and nodded. "Okay, I'll get back to the streets and see if I can find out what Rosco is planning."**

** Sonny nodded. "Be careful," he said, as Jason turned and walked out of the penthouse. He looked down at Angel and smiled. "I didn't expect you to be up this early," he told her after he kissed her good morning.**

** "I could say the same for you," she laughed, tugging on his shirt. "What's this? Did you work out?"**

** Sonny nodded. "I always work out this early. Hit the bag, lift weights; it keeps me in shape."**

** Angel smiled as she squeezed his bicep. "I'll say it does."**

** Sonny grinned. "After my workout, I made breakfast," he told her, adding, "which I _was_ going to surprise you with upstairs but so much for that."**

** "Do you want me to go upstairs and pretend to be surprised?" she teased him.**

** Sonny shook his head. "Nah, we'll just eat here." He led her to the table and directed her to sit.**

** Angel eyes grew wide as he lifted the cover from the tray. Strawberries and whipped cream, waffles, toast were piled on the tray. "Looks good," she enthused. "I love strawberries."**

** Sonny sat down and scooted his chair close to hers. He picked up a berry, dipped it in cream and raised it to her mouth. Angel opened her mouth and bit into the berry. Whipped cream oozed off the berry and peppered her lips. "You got a little something right here," Sonny whispered as he leaned forward to kiss her.**

** When he pulled back, Angel laughed. "Now I know why you wanted to bring this to me in bed," she teased him. "You just wanted an excuse to kiss me."**

**--------**

** Zander rounded the corner at Kelly's and stopped short when he spotted Rosco. He knew that Rosco had been very high up in Sorel's organization. Rosco was arguing with a woman so Zander ducked behind a wall to try to listen to their conversation.**

** He didn't get to listen much as he was grabbed from behind. He turned to see Jason glaring at him. "What are you doing here?" Jason demanded, after he dragged Zander away from the diner.**

** When they were clear from Rosco's earshot, Zander wrenched free of Jason's grasp. "What's your problem, Jason?"**

** "My problem? You," Jason told him coldly. "Especially when you don't know how to stay away from trouble."**

** "I wasn't doing anything. What's the big deal?"**

** "Do you know who that guy was?" Jason asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "That was Victor Rosco, he worked for Sorel. Stay away from him."**

** Jason stormed off. Kicking at a rock, Zander fumed. _Arrgh!_ Zander hated how superior Jason acted. He walked around looking down at everyone, especially Zander. He wondered how different it would be if Jason knew the truth about Zander. When he learned that he was Sonny's son instead of just some kid who screwed up and had to be bailed out of trouble. Zander smirked as he imagined Jason sucking up to him. He decided that he was going to work hard to prove himself to Sonny just to wipe the superior smirk off of Jason's face.**

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**To be continued…**

**A/N: Since there was much we didn't know about Rosco when he was introduced on GH, I took the liberty of creating not only a first name but also background history for him. Too bad the writers didn't do this because I always thought the actor who brought life to him (before Jason killed him that is) was gorgeous.**

**Hope you like this chapter. Remember, it's just the beginning of trouble ahead for Sonny, Angel and Zander. Please review!**


	21. Rosco makes his move

**True Love Never Dies**

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**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

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**Disclaimer: Same as before.**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Rosco makes his move**

** It was just after 7:00 am when Angel returned to her penthouse. She knew Nicholas would be getting up soon, if he weren't already. The place was quiet as she climbed the stairs.**

** Nicholas' door was ajar. Angel pushed it open and smiled at the lump under the bed-covers she knew was her son. Reaching for the light switch, she flipped it on and announced, "Rise and shine, little boy."**

** Nicholas pushed his head from the pillow. His hair was tousled and his face creased from the sheets. "What time is it?" he croaked, as Angel sat down next to him.**

** "Seven o'clock," she answered. "So, what time did you get to sleep last night?"**

** "I was reading 'The Lord of the Rings'," he told her in answer.**

** Angel nodded knowingly. "I understand, so it was late." Shaking her head, she stood up. "Well, come on, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late for the last day before winter vacation."**

** She left his room and headed to her own. A glance at the clock reminded her that she was running late herself. She hurried to her bathroom to prepare for her own day at school.**

** Forty-five minutes later, she walked out of her penthouse carrying her book-bag stuffed with school paperwork. She ran into Sonny at the elevator.**

** "Hey, I thought you would have left by now," he greeted her with a kiss.**

** "Are you kidding me? I'm late," Angel told him. She jabbed him with her finger playfully. "You're a bad influence, Corinthos."**

** Sonny dimpled a grin. "I try, baby, I try."**

** The elevator opened and they stepped in. When they reached the lobby, they headed to the garage where they parted ways, Sonny to his limo and Angel to her own car.**

**--------**

** Sonny spent the day at the coffee warehouse. Jason showed up around noon to report his progress with Rosco. "There's something else you should know, Sonny," he added when he was done.**

** "What is it?"**

** "After I left you this morning, I followed Rosco to Kelly's," Jason began, "and I saw Zander."**

** "Zander? What was he doing there?" Sonny asked.**

** "I don't know but it looked like he was trying to spy on the guy."**

** Sonny sighed. "That kid is going to get himself killed one day," Sonny surmised. "What happened? Did Rosco see him?"**

** Jason shook his head. "I don't think so. I got him out of there pretty fast." He paused. "I just thought you should know."**

** Sonny nodded. He didn't know what to think of Zander Smith. The kid puzzled him. On the one hand, Angel, not to mention Emily Quartermaine, trusted him. She saw something in him that was worth saving. But all Sonny saw was a kid who screwed up, a lot. And he never seemed to learn from his mistakes, Sonny thought.**

** It was 2:00 pm when Sonny left the warehouse to meet Angel for a late lunch. School was dismissed early for the winter break so they agreed to meet at Kelly's when she got off work. Sonny and Jason took a shortcut through the docks to Kelly's. Johnny and Max followed closely behind. When they reached Kelly's, the bodyguards stationed themselves outside the diner while Sonny and Jason went inside. Elizabeth was on-duty and Sonny saw Jason's face soften when he saw her.**

** Elizabeth looked up as they walked in. "Hi Sonny. Hi Jason," she greeted with a smile. "Sit anywhere, I'll be right with you."**

** They hung up their coats and sat down at an empty table. Elizabeth met them, order pad in hand. "Hi, what can I get for you?"**

** "Just coffee for now, Elizabeth, thanks," Sonny told her, "I'm meeting Angel."**

** She nodded. "What about you, Jason?"**

** "The same. Thanks."**

** Elizabeth smiled. "Okay, coming right up." She went behind the counter and grabbed the coffee pot. Returning to the table, she turned their coffee cups right side up, and poured each a full cup. "Let me know when you're ready to order, okay?"**

**--------**

** Angel had been running late all day. She breathed a sigh of relief as she parked her car near the docks. _Thank God for winter break,_ she thought. _No more running around except to shop for Christmas presents._ She did a mental head slap when she realized she hadn't even _started_ her holiday shopping. She dreaded her annual trip to the mall.**

** Turning off the ignition to the car, she exited and locked it with the remote. A few minutes later, she reached Kelly's. Smiling at Johnny and Max, she opened the door and walked in. Spotting Sonny, she walked over and slumped in the chair. "What a day!" she exclaimed. "Thank God it's over."**

** "Rough day?" Sonny asked.**

** "Oh, only if you define 'rough' as having 22 four-year-olds hyped up on punch and cookies," she replied. "I don't think I had a quiet moment in my classroom all day. Everyone was talking over each other." She paused, smiling. "But it's okay, they were sweet. I received a lot of cute homemade Christmas cards today."**

** Sonny signaled to Elizabeth who returned to their table. "Hi Angel," she smiled, "what can I get you?"**

** Angel puckered her lips, deep in thought. "Um, I'll have a hot chocolate to start, please. I don't know what I want to eat yet. Thanks, Elizabeth."**

** As Elizabeth went back to prepare her drink, Angel peered over Sonny's shoulder at the menu. "I don't know why we're looking at this," she laughed. "We're here so often, we know the whole menu."**

** "Habit, I guess," Sonny laughed with her.**

** They decided on their meals and enjoyed a leisurely lunch.**

** When they were done, they left the diner. Sonny and Angel split ways with Jason and decided to take a walk on the docks. Johnny and Max followed closely behind. When they reached Pier 52, Sonny squeezed Angel's hand tightly when he saw Rosco approach them.**

** Rosco smiled widely. "Mr. Corinthos, what a pleasure." He leered at Angel. "And who is this lovely lady?"**

** Sonny stepped between Rosco and Angel. "None of your business," he told him.**

** "Sonny?" Angel didn't know what to think about what was happening. She sensed Sonny's mood change. Just moments ago, they had been making plans for the evening, but now his defense mechanism was up. She didn't know the man standing in front of them but she instinctively knew he was a dangerous man.**

** Sonny turned to Angel and pulled her close. "It's okay," he tried to assure her, "I need you to go back to Kelly's for me, okay? I'll be there shortly."**

** Angel stared at him, trying to read the situation. All she saw in his eyes was a silent plea for her to comply. Finally, she nodded. After a beat, she turned and left quickly.**

** When she was gone, Sonny turned to Rosco. "What do you want?"**

** Rosco's smile disappeared. His eyes turned cold. "I just want what's due me," he said, simply. "And I don't want you to interfere. I was loyal to Sorel when he was in charge, now that he's out of commission, I deserve the be in power."**

** Sonny shook his head. "That's for the Five Families to decide," he reminded him, "not for you to act on your own."**

** "The Five Families," Rosco scoffed. "We both know that they couldn't _decide_ their way out of a paper bag. You're the one who influences their decisions and if you decide to back me, then they'll follow suit."**

** "What makes you think I'd want you in charge, Rosco?" Sonny asked, "Sorel wasn't smart enough to run his business but you? You're even less qualified. You're not even worth consideration." Rosco started to defend himself but Sonny cut him off. "This meeting is over," he said, turning to go.**

** As Sonny passed him to leave, Rosco reached to grab his arm. Johnny and Max moved fast. Johnny pushed him away from Sonny and pinned him against a wall while Max shielded Sonny with his body. "You don't hear too well," Johnny growled, "Mr. Corinthos said this meeting is over."**

** "See what I mean, Rosco?" Sonny said, "You're not smart enough to leave well enough alone." He walked away with Max following closely behind. Johnny waited until Sonny was out of sight before releasing Rosco and following Max and Sonny.**

** Rosco fumed as he straightened his tie and jacket. He vowed to make Sonny Corinthos pay for the humiliation he just suffered. No one looked down on him and got away with it. He smirked as a plan began formulating in his mind. He knew the perfect way to get to Sonny and he wasn't going to hold anything back in exacting his revenge.**

** As he walked up the steps to leave the dock, Zander stepped out of the shadows. He had heard the whole conversation between Sonny and Rosco.**

**To be continued…**


	22. Where is Angel?

**True Love Never Dies**

****

**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

****

**Disclaimer: What do I own? Nothing, except for the characters I've created for the purpose of this story.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Where's Angel?**

** A few days later, Sonny was poring over blueprints he had spread out on the table when Nicholas entered the penthouse. "Hey Sonny, where's my mom?"**

** Sonny looked up. "She went to the mall," he told him, "she'll be home soon."**

** Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "My mom went to the mall? Then she should be home by now."**

** "She'll be home soon, Nicholas," Sonny assured him, "do you need her for something?"**

** "No, you don't understand, Sonny," Nicholas insisted, "if my mom went to the mall, then she'd be home by now. She says the lighting in malls gives her a headache and she can't stand it for more than two hours." He glanced at the clock. "She's been gone for more than four hours now."**

** Sonny glanced at his watch. _5:30 pm._ Angel had been gone since before 1:00. He walked over to the phone and dialed Johnny's cell phone.**

** Meanwhile in an alley behind the Pier 52 mall, Johnny lay unconscious on the ground, his cell phone went unanswered. Slowly, he regained consciousness. He pushed his head off the ground. Pain shot through the back of his head like a knife and he passed out again.**

** Sonny disconnected and dialed Jason's number. Jason answered after the first ring. Sonny quickly told him about Angel and Johnny's disappearance.**

** Jason listened intently. When Sonny was finished talking, Jason told him he'd start looking for the two of them.**

** Sonny disconnected and turned to Nicholas. "Don't worry," Sonny told him, "Jason will find them."**

**--------**

**_Two hours earlier…_ **

** Angel walked out of the Pier 52 mall rubbing her forehead. "Man, I have a headache," she told Johnny. "Those fluorescent lights do it every time."**

** Johnny smiled. "I know how you feel," he said, "it's all the noise that gets me."**

** Angel nodded. "Yes! That too!" she exclaimed. "I swear, I can spend all day with my preschool kids, but one hour in the mall just wipes me out."**

** They took a shortcut through the alley behind the mall to get to the car. As they turned down the alley, they stopped when they spotted Rosco and three men leaning against a wall. Johnny went into protective mode and stepped in front of Angel.**

** Rosco nodded at his associates and they stepped forward, blocking Johnny's path. The men surrounded them and as they moved forward, Angel let out a scream. She was quickly silenced when one of the men grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with a cloth. As she slumped in his arms, Johnny put up a fight but he was out-matched. While he fought one man, the other hit him over the head with a two-by-four. Johnny fell to the ground in a heap while the men stood over him. They looked up at Rosco. "Do you want us to kill him?"**

** Rosco shook his head. "No, I want him to send a message to Corinthos," he told them. "I want him to know who is in charge here."**

** They left Johnny lying on the ground while they carried Angel away.**

**--------**

** Sonny and Nicholas paced the floor at the penthouse as they waited for Jason's call. "What's taking so long?" Nicholas asked for the umpteenth time.**

** Sonny sighed. "Be patient, Nicholas," he told him, "Jason will call as soon as he finds out anything."**

** Nicholas wandered over to the table and saw the blueprints Sonny had been looking over. "What are these?" he asked.**

** Sonny stood next to him. "They're blueprints of our two penthouses," he told him, pointing out the rooms. "See, here's the wall that separates us." He paused. "I've been thinking about tearing down that wall."**

** Nicholas was surprised. "Really? That would be cool," he said, "then we wouldn't have to go into the hall every time we wanted to come over."**

** Sonny laughed. "I was thinking the same thing."**

** The phone rang at that moment. They looked at each other before Sonny picked up the phone. It was Jason. "I found Johnny," he said solemnly, "but there's no sign of Angel."**

** "What does Johnny say?" Sonny asked.**

** "Nothing so far," Jason answered, "the ambulance is taking him to the hospital now."**

** Sonny hung up after making arrangements to meet Jason at the hospital. Laying the phone down, he turned to Nicholas. "I've got to go to the hospital now," he told him, "will you be alright here alone?"**

** "Is it Mom? Can I go with you?"**

** Sonny shook his head. "I think it's best if you stay here, Nic," Sonny told him, "I'll call you after I talk to Johnny." He grabbed his coat and left the penthouse. When he reached the lobby, he ordered Francis to watch over Nicholas. Sonny instinctively knew who was behind Angel's abduction. _Rosco._ Sonny was determined to find Angel and bring her home and then he would deal with Rosco himself.**

****

**To be continued…**


	23. Long Night's Journey into Day

**True Love Never Dies**

**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

**Author's Note: I'm back. Sorry for making you wait for an update but I had a little trouble working this next chapter out in my head. Anyway, it's an extra-long chapter to make up for the previous too-short one. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it? Hmm? I _wish_ I owned GH because then the characters would do what I want.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Long Night's Journey into Day**

**Johnny slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw Sonny sitting by his hospital bed. He moved to sit up, causing him to wince in pain.**

**"Not so fast," Sonny warned him, "you have a concussion."**

**Johnny slumped back into his pillows with a sigh. "How did I get here?"**

**"Jason found you." Sonny paused. "What happened, Johnny? Who did this?"**

**"Rosco," Johnny told him, "he had three men with him."**

**Sonny made a fist and hit it against the arm of his chair. "I knew it."**

**"I'm sorry, boss, you trusted me to keep her safe."**

**Sonny looked up at him. Johnny was his most-trusted bodyguard. That was the reason he had assigned him to watch Angel…Sonny trusted him more than any of the other men except for Jason. "Don't," Sonny said, shaking his head, "you did everything you could."**

**They turned to see Jason walk in the room. He nodded at Johnny. Turning to Sonny, he said, "Rosco called a meeting with the Five Families."**

**Sonny stood to leave but stopped when Johnny sat up again. "I'm going with you, boss."**

**"No, no, no, no, no," Sonny shook his head. "You have a knot on the back of your head the size of a golf ball, Johnny," he reminded him.**

**"I'm fine," Johnny insisted.**

**"You sure?" Johnny nodded. "Good, cause I can use you," Sonny told him, "I want to get Angel back _immediately_, and I'm going to need people I know I can count on to make that happen."**

**Nicholas was restless as he waited for Sonny's call. He paced the floor of the penthouse until Francis suggested a game of cards. He was in the midst of teaching Nicholas the game "_Texas Hold 'Em"_ when Zander walked in.**

**Nodding at Francis, Zander asked, "What's going on?"**

**Nicholas filled him in on Angel's disappearance. "Johnny's in the hospital," he added, "Sonny's over there now."**

**"Does he have any idea who took Angel?" Zander asked.**

**Nicholas shrugged. "Sonny's supposed to call soon."**

**Just then, the phone rang. Francis picked it up. After a word with Sonny, he handed the phone to Nicholas. "He wants to talk to you."**

**"Nic, how you doing?" Sonny asked.**

**Nicholas sighed. "I'm okay, I guess, have you heard anything about mom?"**

**"Yeah, I'm working on it," Sonny told him, "don't worry. I'll bring her home. Stick close to Francis, okay?"**

**After hanging up, Nicholas looked up at Zander only to find him gone. "Where did he go?" he asked Francis.**

**Francis shrugged. "I didn't see him leave."**

**Meanwhile in the lobby, Zander stepped off the elevator. He was shaken by the news of Angel's disappearance and wondered why he was just now learning of it.**

**He exited the building and headed toward the docks. He decided that if Sonny weren't going to ask him for help, then he'd find Angel on his own. He remembered seeing Rosco and Sonny the other day. He knew Rosco had something to do with it and he was going to find out what.**

**Angel opened her eyes slowly. She was lying on a large box in a dark and cold room. Bringing a hand to her head, she groaned audibly. Her head felt tight, as if a vice were squeezing it. She slowly sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The room was dark but from a sliver of light under the door, she could make out where she was in the room. There were more boxes, like the one she was on, stacked up high against the wall. She guessed the room was used for storage, of what she had no idea.**

**Hearing voices from outside the door, she swung her legs over the side of the box and stood up. The door opened and she squinted from the light shining from the hallway. When her eyes adjusted, Angel sucked in her breath when she recognized Rosco leering down at her. "Well, well, it's good to see you're awake, Ms. Morrissey." Angel could see his smile did not reach his eyes. "I do hope you enjoyed your rest."**

**Angel crossed her arms, hoping it made her look more forceful. "What do you want with me? Why am I here?" she demanded.**

**Rosco stepped toward her, causing Angel to take a step back. He smirked at her response. "I don't want anything except what's due me," he said.**

**They were interrupted by a commotion outside the room. Rosco turned to leave the room. "What's going on out there?" he yelled.**

**One of his men appeared in the doorway, dragging someone along with him. "We found this guy lurking around out front, boss."**

**"Let me go!" Zander struggled against his captors.**

**Angel rushed forward. "Zander." Rosco held her back before she could reach Zander.**

**"Angel, are you alright? Has this guy hurt you?"**

**Rosco smirked. "So, Mr. Smith, we meet again," he began, "you know I sort of owe you a debt of gratitude. If it wasn't for you testifying against Sorel, I wouldn't be able to take over his territory. So, to show you my gratitude, I won't kill you," Rosco sneered, through clenched teeth, "at least not right away."**

**"You sure this is the right place, Jason?" Johnny asked. He and Johnny were stationed in the alley behind Sorel's warehouse. Several other men in Sonny's organization were positioned all around them.**

**Jason nodded. "Benny ran a check on all of Sorel's properties. This was the only one listed that was unused. It's the perfect hideout for Rosco to hold someone."**

**Jason's cell phone chirped. "Morgan here."**

**"Jason, I'm on my way to the meeting," Sonny told him, "are you and Johnny in place?"**

**"Yeah, we're here," Jason told him, "so far, there's no activity." As Jason spoke, he noticed the back door of the warehouse open. "Hold on, Sonny, someone's coming out." Jason and Johnny watched as Rosco walked out, surrounded by three bodyguards. When they were safely out of earshot, Jason put the phone back to his ear. "Rosco just left."**

**"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," Sonny told him. He flipped the phone closed and threw it on the seat. He looked out the window as the car reached his destination. It was a non-descript building used by the members of the Five Families for their meetings. Sonny stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, flanked by two of his bodyguards.**

**As Sonny walked inside the sparse room used for the meeting, he saw the other Five Families leaders already in place. Sonny nodded at them and took a seat. "Thank you for meeting with me a little early," Sonny began, "I thought we should get some things cleared up before Rosco showed up."**

**The five men looked at each other. Tagliati spoke up. "What's this all about, Sonny?"**

**"Sorel's organization," Sonny replied. "Rosco wants it, we can't let him have it."**

**Tagliati snorted. "What do you have in mind? You take it?"**

**Sonny chuckled. "Actually, Tagliati, I would _love_ that but I thought, to avoid a turf war, we all," he gestured with his hand at those seated around the table, "divide it up equally."**

**The other men nodded. Everyone agreed and they started the task of dividing up Sorel's territory.**

**Fifteen minutes later, Rosco entered the room. He was surprised to see everyone already seated. "Well, so much for not waiting for all parties to be in attendance, gentleman," he said, sitting at an empty chair.**

**Sonny turned to him. "Why should we wait for you? We've already finished our business."**

**"What about me? Where's my share?" Rosco fumed.**

**Sonny snorted. "What about you? You're just a mongrel begging for scraps, Rosco. You're not fit to sit at this table, let alone get a piece of the pie."**

**"I _earned_ my place at this table! I worked for years for Sorel, doing his dirty work, doing everything no one else would do."**

**"So? That doesn't mean anything," Sonny told him. He nodded at the other men and stood up to leave. Rosco followed after him.**

**"If you want to see that girlfriend of yours again, I suggest you turn around and undo what you did," Rosco threatened.**

**Sonny spun around. His eyes were like steel. "If you've so much as touched her, you're dead," he hissed.**

**As Sonny left the room, Rosco pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. When the call connected, he spoke two words into the phone, "do it." He closed the phone and strode out of the room.**

**"Zander, I wish you hadn't gotten yourself involved in this," Angel told him.**

**"I can handle myself," Zander replied. "Besides, I know some of these guys. They worked for Sorel."**

**"Zander, you sold drugs," Angel reminded him. "From what I understand, that's like the lowest rung in an organization like Sorel's. You weren't exactly one of the _'higher-ups'_."**

**"I know, but I thought I could help."**

**Angel smiled. "I know, sweetheart," she started, "and I appreciate it. I just don't like to see you in danger." She laughed. "It's my mother instinct."**

**Zander smiled. He felt so comfortable talking with Angel. She always put him at ease. He wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth, that she was his mother.**

**He was pulled out of his reverie when the door opened. Zander and Angel blinked at the light and stood up. Two thugs stepped into the room and grabbed them. "Come on, we're going for a ride."**

**They dragged them through the warehouse and out the back door. Jason and Johnny saw their chance and jumped out from their hiding place. "Let them go!" Zander saw his opportunity and surprised his captor with a punch in the stomach. The man dropped his gun when he doubled over in pain. Zander jumped on him and got him to the ground.**

**The man holding Angel put a gun to her head and wrapped his free arm around her neck. "Drop your guns or the lady gets it!"**

**Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw one of their sharpshooter's on the roof nod. He had the man holding Angel in his sightline. When the man was hit in the head, Angel screamed and hit the ground.**

**While Johnny helped Zander take care of the goon on the ground, Jason rushed to Angel's side. "It's okay," he reassured her, "he's dead."**

**"Where's Sonny?" Angel asked, as Jason helped her up.**

**"He's on his way."**

**Just then, Rosco arrived. "That's good," he said, raising his gun, "now he can watch you die."**

**Zander sprang into action when he saw the gun. He leapt to his feet and rushed toward Angel. "NO!" He felt the impact of the gun as it entered his back and he fell.**

**As soon as Rosco fired the gun, he was shot. Angel started crying as she sat on the ground cradling Zander's head. "Zander, come on, you can't die. You're my hero, you can't die, please."**

**Zander's eyes flickered open and he smiled up at her. "You're so beautiful, Mom," he whispered. "I'm sorry I lied to you."**

**As Zander's eyes closed, Angel shook him. "Zander, don't, don't close your eyes, baby. Stay with me." Her mind was reeling. She heard Zander call her 'Mom' but she wasn't sure what he meant. Was he in fact her son or was he confused? She had to know.**

**Sonny arrived then and rushed over to them. "What happened, baby? Are you alright?" he asked her, seeing the tears.**

**"Zander was shot."**

**Sonny looked down at Zander and pressed his fingers to his neck. He felt a pulse, but it was very slow. "Okay, we have to get him to the hospital." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed "911". "Yeah, this is Sonny Corinthos. I need an ambulance to the alley behind 10213 Courtland Street. Someone's been shot."**

**When he closed his phone, Angel turned to him. "Sonny, something else happened after Zander was shot. He looked up at me and called me 'Mom'."**

**The paramedics arrived soon after and rushed Zander to the hospital with Sonny and Angel following closely behind.**

**(A/N: hope you like this chapter. I promise the next chapter will not take so long to write. I think I got my groove back! LOL. Please review!)**


	24. Vigil

**True Love Never Dies**

**A General Hospital Fan-fiction**

**Disclaimer: Huh? You still think I own GH? Where's my check then?**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Vigil**

**Sonny and Angel approached the ER desk. It was a busy night at General Hospital as attested by the hustle demonstrated by the staff. "Excuse me," Angel got the attention of the nurse, "Zander Smith was just brought in. Can we get an update on him?"**

**The nurse, whose nametag read "Denise", looked up at them. "Are you family?"**

**"Not exactly," Angel replied, "but he lives with us."**

**Satisfied with their answer, Denise checked the board behind her. "He's still being examined by Dr. Monica Quartermaine," she informed him. "Exam room two. You can wait in chairs over there." She pointed to a row of hard, plastic chairs.**

**As they sat down, Angel let out a huge sigh. Sonny looked over at her. "I should take you home. You've been through a lot the past 24 hours," he said, lacing his fingers through hers.**

**Angel shook her head. "I need to know Zander's alright before I go home." She gasped. "Emily. We need to call her. She needs to know about Zander."**

**Sonny nodded. "Jason's on his way to tell her now," he told her. "He'll bring her to the hospital."**

**Angel closed her eyes and sighed. "Good."**

**The exam room door opened and Monica walked out. Sonny stood up. "Monica."**

**Monica walked over to him. "Hi, are you here for Zander?"**

**Sonny nodded. "How is he?"**

**Monica sighed. "Not good, to be honest." Angel pressed her hand to her lips to hold back a cry. "The bullet is lodged near his heart. It hit an major artery and he's losing a lot of blood."**

**"You can remove the bullet, right?" Angel asked, her voice quivering.**

**"It's a risky surgery," Monica told her, "but yes, it can be done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get prepped. We're taking him up in a few minutes."**

**Angel stood up. "Can we see him first?"**

**"He won't know you're there, but okay, just for a minute," Monica nodded. "Excuse me."**

**As Monica walked away, Sonny and Angel walked to the door and looked through the window. Zander was stretched out on a gurney with a tube down his throat to help him breathe. Before they opened the door, they heard Emily arrive.**

**"Zander Smith! Where's Zander Smith?" she cried hysterically at the front desk. Jason stood behind her trying to calm her down.**

**"Emily, Jason, over here," Sonny called to them.**

**Emily rushed over to them. "Where is he? Is he alright?"**

**"He's in there, Em," Angel told her quietly, "go on in. They're taking him up to surgery in a few minutes."**

**Emily hurried into the trauma room. She stroked Zander's hair as she whispered, "I'm here, Zander. Can you hear me?"**

**While Emily was in with Zander, Sonny, Angel and Jason watched her through the window. Angel let the tears fall as Sonny wrapped his arms around her.**

**Soon, the trauma nurses wheeled Zander out of the room and headed for the elevator. Emily sobbed in Angel's arms as she watched the elevator doors close.**

_**Later at the penthouse...**_

**The penthouse was quiet when Sonny carried Angel inside. She had finally agreed to let Sonny bring her home and had fallen asleep in the car. Zander had pulled through surgery and was in recovery. He wouldn't be allowed any visitors at least for another two hours.**

**As Sonny started up the stairs, Nicholas walked out of the kitchen. "Mom!" he called before he realized she was asleep.**

**Angel stirred in Sonny's arms. "Nicky?" She opened her eyes and Sonny set her on her feet. Nicholas hugged his mother tightly.**

**"Thank God you're home," he sighed.**

**"I'm happy to be home, Nicky," Angel told him, patting his back. As she withdrew, she smiled at him. "Sonny tells me you were so brave throughout my disappearance."**

**"I didn't do anything, Mom," Nic replied, "I worried a lot though."**

**"You didn't panic, Nic," Sonny reminded him.**

**Angel led Nic to the sofa. "There's something you should know, honey," she told him. Nicholas sat down next to her and she took his hand. "Zander wasn't so lucky tonight," she said, quietly.**

**"Zander? What happened?"**

**"He was shot," Angel replied. "He's in the hospital right now."**

**"Is he going to be okay?" Nicholas asked.**

**"He pulled through surgery but now we have to wait till he wakes up," Angel said softly.**

**"What about you, Mom?" Nicholas could see she was tired. "Are you okay?"**

**Angel smiled. "I'm fine now," she shrugged. "Just tired."**

**"And that's why I'm taking you upstairs to bed now," Sonny told her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Come on, don't argue," he ordered, pulling her off the sofa.**

**Nic gave his mother one more hug before Angel let Sonny guide her to their bedroom. She lay down across the bed on top of the covers. "Mmm," she murmured as she laid her head down. "It's so good to be home."**

**"It's good to have you home, baby," Sonny told her. He walked into the bathroom. "Hey, you want me to run you a bath? It might make you sleep better." When there was no response, Sonny walked back into the bedroom and saw that Angel was fast asleep, with her hands curled under her chin. Sonny unfolded a quilt and covered her with it. He lay down beside her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. "I love you, baby," he whispered in her ear. Angel sighed contently in her sleep.**

_**Five hours later….**_

**Angel awoke slowly. She heard Sonny moving in the room and sat up. "Hey."**

**Sonny turned around. He came over and sat next to her. "Hey, I didn't expect you to wake up so soon." He kissed her softly. "How are you feeling?"**

**Angel smiled. "Hungry."**

**Sonny chuckled. "Really? Alright now, any requests for lunch?"**

**"Anything's fine," Angel replied, as she swung her legs over the bed and stood up. "I need to take a bath and then I want to go back to the hospital."**

**While Sonny went downstairs, Angel went into the bathroom to prepare her bath. Soaking in the hot water, Angel closed her eyes and laid her head on the back of the tub. Her mind replayed the events of the past 24 hours, ending with Zander's shooting. Each time she saw the look in his eyes as Zander spoke to her before passing out. _"You're so beautiful, Mom. I'm sorry I lied to you."_**

**After her bath, Angel dressed in warm sweats and sneakers. She put barely any makeup on, just a swipe of mascara and little blush, and headed downstairs. She was pulling her long hair in a loose ponytail when Sonny exited the kitchen. "Mmm, something smells good," she sniffed.**

**"You look pretty," Sonny smiled at her, as she stepped to the table.**

**"Thank you. You're good for my ego, you know that?"**

**"That's what I'm here for," Sonny replied, dimples popping out. "Go ahead and sit down. Everything's ready."**

**As they started their meal, Angel asked, "Have you seen Nicholas lately? Is he across the hall?"**

**Sonny nodded. "He went to change his clothes," Sonny informed her. "He wants to go to the hospital to see Zander."**

**"I was thinking about Zander while I was bathing," Angel began, "about what he said."**

**"Did you come up with anything new?"**

**"Yeah, I think so," Angel told him. "Emily and Zander are committed to each other, like we are, right? What if Zander told her something, you know? If he was lying to us, maybe he told her."**

**Sonny shrugged. "It's possible. What, do you want to ask her?" Sonny asked.**

**"I don't know," Angel admitted. "I don't want to badger her, especially now, but Sonny, I don't know if I can wait until Zander wakes up."**

**"You'll know what to do, sweetheart," Sonny assured her, "you always do."**

**Nicholas arrived then and took a seat at the table. "Are you hungry, honey?" Angel asked. "Help yourself."**

**Nicholas shook his head. "I already had some when Sonny was making it."**

**Sonny and Angel finished their meal and cleaned up the kitchen before they all left for the hospital. Angel was surprised when she saw Johnny at his post outside the penthouse. "Johnny, how are you?" she asked, pulling him into a hug. "Sonny told me you landed in the hospital after Rosco's attack."**

**Johnny blushed at the attention paid by Angel. "I'm okay," he mumbled.**

**The four of them rode the elevator to the garage where the car was waiting. When they arrived at the hospital, they went up to the cardiac wing on the fifth floor. "Zander Smith's room, please," Sonny asked the nurse on duty at that desk.**

**The nurse directed them to the room where they saw Emily sitting with her head resting on the bed. Angel bent down and whispered to Emily, "Em."**

**Emily jumped up surprised. "Zander," she called out. Seeing them, she ran her hands through her hair. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep," she apologized.**

**"Don't worry, sweetheart," Angel assured her. "Have you been here all morning?"**

**Em nodded. "Mom and Jason tried to talk me into leaving but I can't, not until Zander wakes up."**

**Angel smiled. She sat down in the chair Sonny had brought over for her. "I understand. Have you gotten any sleep?"**

**"Here and there."**

**Jason arrived then. "Sonny, we need to talk," he said after hugging his sister.**

**The three men left the women in the room as stepped into the hall. Jason sighed before starting. "Rosco's people have been taken care of," he began, "most of them agreed to our arrangement, leave town and never return, but a few, well, they chose the alternative."**

**Sonny nodded. "Good, good. Where are they now?"**

**"We turned them over to the PCPD on charges of kidnapping Angel and Zander," Jason replied.**

**Sonny nodded again. "I want to talk to Mac," he said. He returned to Zander's room to inform Angel of his departure. He left Johnny behind to stay with her.**

**After Sonny and Jason were gone, Angel talked Emily into stretching her legs and going for coffee. When they reached the lounge, Angel turned to Em. "Emily, there's something I have to ask you," she began, "I thought about waiting but it's eating me up inside."**

**"What is it, Angel?"**

**Angel blew out a long breath. "It's about Zander," she began, "I don't quite know how to ask this, so here goes." She paused. "Zander said something to me after he was shot, Em."**

**"He did? What was it?"**

**"He called me 'mom' and he said he lied to us," Angel told her, tears welled up in her eyes. "Emily, is it true? Is Zander our son? Did he lie to us before?"**

**Emily sighed. "Yes, Angel, it's true. I wanted so much for him to tell you and Sonny, but he refused."**

**"Why?"**

**"Because of Sonny." Em saw confusion on Angel's face. "He wanted to prove himself to Sonny, you know? He always thought that Sonny saw him as a mixed up kid who screwed up a lot. Zander wanted to change that."**

**Angel smiled. "You know, I think I understand, Em," she said. "Sonny and Zander have a strained relationship. Sonny would get so frustrated during the trial when Zander wouldn't follow his instructions." She chuckled. "Funny thing, though, you know who I always thought Zander reminded me of? Sonny." She laughed. "They have that same stubborn streak running through them, you know? They don't like anyone else to tell them what to do."**

**"Yeah, I see that similarity," Emily laughed. "What are we going to do with them to make them see that?"**

**Angel shook her head. "I don't know."**

**To be continued….**

**(A/N: Hey! I'm back in due time! Aren't you proud of me? Now do your part and review, review, review! Okay, I know the site only let's you review a chapter once, so make it count!)**


	25. Family matters

**True Love Never Dies**

**A General Hospital fan-fiction**

**Disclaimer: Umm, I don't own anything except the characters I've created. But you knew that, right? Come on tell me you knew that.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Family matters**

**For the next several days, Angel and Emily took turns sitting vigil beside Zander's bedside. Monica had warned them that the longer he took waking up, the more of a risk it was that he would fall into a deep coma.**

**Emily had hope though that he would wake up soon, so she refused to leave the hospital. She left his room only to sleep in the doctor's on-call room. Being the chief-of-staff's daughter did have its' advantages.**

**As for Angel, Sonny managed to get her to leave the hospital every night but she returned bright and early each day.**

**On the fourth day, Angel arrived alone in his room. Emily was slumped over in her chair with her head resting on the bed. Even though she was fast asleep, her hand clasped Zander's tightly. When Angel leaned over her, she bolted upright. "Oh!"**

**"It's okay, Emily, it's just me," Angel reassured her.**

**Emily yawned broadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she began, "I must have drifted off."**

**"Have you gotten any sleep lately?" Angel asked, her brow creasing in concern.**

**Emily smiled weakly. "A little, but I don't want to leave Zander."**

**"Well, it's okay if you want to sleep now," Angel told her, "I'll stay with him."**

**Emily smiled. "I bet you're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"**

**"No." Angel told her with a grin of her own.**

**Emily gathered her purse and her blanket in her arms and bent over Zander. Kissing his forehead, she whispered, "I'll be back, Zander. Your mother is here."**

**At the words 'your mother', Angel felt tears welling up. It still felt surreal to her that Zander was her son. As Emily left the room, Angel turned to Zander. She half-smiled as she watched him sleep, thinking he looked so peaceful. "Hey, Zander," she called to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "I hope you can hear me. I just want you to know that I'm here." She sniffed as she picked up his hand. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately, dreaming actually. You are such an important part of my life already," she told him, "from the time you came to live with us, I could tell you were special. I saw a side to you that you don't let everybody see. You're a good person, Zander," she continued, as the tears began to fall, "underneath all the bravado, underneath the 'tough guy' exterior, underneath it all, you're a good boy." Her voice cracked. "You've just been so alone your whole life. But I want you to know…you're not alone anymore. You have Emily, you have me, you have Nicholas and even Susan, when she's home. And believe it or not, you have Sonny. All of us, we're a family, and family matters above all else. You _matter_ to us, Zander, you matter."**

**Angel felt Zander grip her hand slightly. She looked down at his hand in shock and back to his face. "Zander?" She saw his eyes flicker until he focused on her. "Hey, you. Don't try to speak. The doctors put a tube down your throat to help you breathe. I'll go get someone now." As she started to leave, Zander gripped her hand tighter. She turned back to him and smiled. "I'll be right back, I promise."**

**She found Bobbie at the nurses' station. "Bobbie? Zander's awake," she said, excitedly as she approached the counter.**

**"That's great, Angel!" Bobbie exclaimed, "let me page Monica real quick and I'll be there in a minute."**

**Angel went back into the room to wait for her. "Bobbie will be here in a minute," she told him.**

**Bobbie walked into the room as Angel heard Monica being paged over the hospital intercom. "Hi there, Zander," Bobbie gushed, as she approached the bed. "I'm so glad to see you awake. You put quite a scare in all of us."**

**Zander's eyes followed her as she went to the machines and checked his vitals. Soon, Monica walked in followed by another nurse. Angel stepped aside while they attended to him and removed the tube from his throat.**

**"Okay, Zander, this is going to hurt a little," Monica warned, "but on the count of three, I want to you to blow out as hard as you can while we take this tube out."**

**Zander complied and coughed as the tube was extracted. "Take it easy," Monica told him, "your throat will feel rough for a few hours at least."**

**"Thank you, Monica," Angel said, stepping forward now that they were finished with Zander.**

**"It's no problem," Monica smiled, adding with a wink, "now I think I'll go tell Emily that Zander's awake."**

**As Monica left the room, Zander looked up at Angel. "Mom," he croaked.**

**Angel smiled and sat on the edge of his bed. "Shh," she told him, "don't try to talk. We have plenty of time for that later."**

**Just then, Emily rushed into the room. Her hair was bedraggled as if she had just awoken. "Zander!" she exclaimed, as tears flowed down her face. "Oh, I'm so happy that you're awake. I knew you'd wake up."**

**Zander beamed at her. "Emily." His voice was still raspy.**

**Angel quietly left the room to give the two kids some privacy. As she sank into an over-stuffed chair in the lounge, a sigh escaped her lips. She let the unshed tears flow as she silently thanked God for taking care of Zander.**

**Sonny rounded the corner and stopped when he spotted Angel in the lounge. He could tell she was crying and hesitated a moment before approaching her. _Had something happened to Zander?_ Sonny stepped slowly closer to her, calling her name quietly, "Angel? Are you alright, baby?"**

**Angel turned to him suddenly. Tears shining in her eyes, she threw herself in his arms. "Sonny! Oh, my God, Zander woke up!"**

**Sonny was surprised. "Really? That's great," he said, as he held her.**

**Angel pulled back and looked at him. "Sonny, what's wrong?"**

**Sonny shrugged. "Nothing…nothing's wrong," he began, "I just…I mean, I thought something bad had happened when I saw you crying."**

**"Oh." She touched his face tenderly. "He's alright now. Let's go see him."**

**The two of them walked back into Zander's room. Emily was sitting next to Zander in the bed. "Hi guys," she beamed, "doesn't Zander look good?"**

**"He sure does," Angel smiled.**

**Sonny and Zander stared at each other. Neither knew what to say. Sonny cleared his throat. "It's good that you woke up," he said quietly.**

**Zander nodded. "Thanks…um, Sonny."**

**Angel and Emily exchanged glances. They both knew that there was a struggle going on within each of the men. Angel broke the tension first. "So, now that you're awake," she began, "you can begin the road to recovery and come home where you belong."**

**Zander smiled at her warmly. "Yeah," he said, quietly, "I'd like that."**

**To be continued…**

**A/N: I know this is short but this chapter was hard to write. I hope you like it. Please review!**


	26. Home for the Holidays

**True Love Never Dies**

**A General Hospital Fan-fiction**

**Disclaimer: The only characters I own are the ones I've created. You'll know them when you see them because they've never been on GH.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Home for the Holidays**

**It was a little after eight in the morning on Christmas Eve when Susan stepped off the elevator at the Harborview Towers. Johnny's smiling face greeted her. "Hello, Miss Hornsby, welcome home."**

**Susan smiled back. "Thanks Johnny, it's good to be home," she sighed as she set her suitcase down. "But please, call me Susan."**

**Johnny smiled. "I'll try to remember that," he promised, "you want some help with your bags?"**

**"Yeah, thanks," Susan replied.**

**As they headed towards penthouse one, Susan asked, "Is anyone up yet?"**

**Johnny shook his head. "Mr. Corinthos usually is but they've been keeping late hours at the hospital with Zander."**

**At the mention of Zander, Susan became thoughtful. Her mother had told her the news that Zander was her brother but it was still hard to believe. All these months Zander was living in the penthouse and now they find out he was her mother's son.**

**For most of her childhood, Susan remembered seeing Angel sad one day out of the year and always wondered why. She was 8 years old when Angel told her and her brother about the baby she had given up for adoption. Susan had always wanted an older brother and began to fantasize who he was. Would he protect her from the bullies and mean girls who used to tease her because her parents were divorced? Would he include her when he went off with his friends or would he push her away? She shook her head to clear her mind as she unlocked the front door.**

**As the door closed behind them, the elevator doors opened again and a man stepped out. He looked around as if searching for someone. He was a tall, handsome man dressed in a tailored suit. He found Sonny's door and stepped toward it.**

**As he raised his hand to knock on the door, the door to penthouse two opened and Jason stepped out. He had moved back in three months before after Alexis had finally acquiesced to Ned's request to move into the gatehouse. He noticed the man and called out. "Who are you?"**

**Startled, the stranger turned around and saw Jason with his hand tucked into his jacket. Raising his hands defensively, "whoa, I'm not here to hurt anyone."**

**Jason withdrew his hand and stepped closer. "Who are you?" he repeated.**

**"My name is Ric Lansing," he answered, extending his hand, "I'm here to see Mr. Corinthos."**

**Jason glanced at his hand but didn't offer his own. "Mr. Corinthos doesn't take meetings at his home anymore."**

**"Oh, it's not a meeting, I assure you," Ric told him, "It's not anything _like that_."**

**Jason became suspicious when he realized that Ric knew who Sonny was.**

**"I just need a few minutes," Ric continued.**

**Jason shook his head. "Not going to happen. You need to go now."**

**Ric stared at him, trying to read the man. Finally, he turned away. "Alright, I'll try again later."**

**As Jason watched the elevator doors close on Ric, Johnny reappeared in the hallway. Jason nodded at him, "where were you?"**

**Johnny nodded toward penthouse one. "I was helping Miss Hornsby get her suitcases upstairs. Did something happen?"**

**Jason nodded curtly. "There was a guy out here when I came out. He's gone now."**

**8888**

**_At the hospital…_ **

**Zander walked gingerly out of the bathroom in his room and climbed back onto the bed. He lay back against the pillows, on top of the covers, and closed his eyes.**

**His rest was interrupted as Monica walked in. "Hi Zander," she greeted with a smile as he opened his eyes. "I didn't mean to wake you."**

**He shook his head. "Nah, it's okay, I've been awake for hours."**

**"Oh, really?" Monica reacted. "Are you in any pain? Did you get any sleep?"**

**"Oh, no, don't worry, it's nothing like that," Zander reassured her. "I was just anxious because you told me I could get out of here today."**

**Monica laughed. "I see. You feeling a little restless, are you?"**

**"A little," Zander grinned. "No offense."**

**"Oh, none taken," she replied, "I understand. Your recovery has been remarkable. There's nothing more we can do for you that you can't get at home."**

**Zander's smile faltered a bit. "Yeah, home."**

**At that moment, Emily joined them. "Hi, what's going on?"**

**Zander's eyes lit up when he looked at Em. "Hey, what are you doing here so early?"**

**"Do you even have to ask?" she teased him. "You're getting out today." She turned to her mother. "When do you think that'll be, mom?"**

**Monica smiled. "As soon as the release papers are all signed. Speaking of which, Zander, I'll get started on that. See you both later."**

**She left the room as Emily joined Zander on the bed. "So, what do you want to do first when you get out?" she asked him, laying her head on his shoulder.**

**Zander wrapped his arm around her to draw her closer. "Oh, I don't know. Anything, as long as it's with you," he said, tilting her face upward, as he kissed her.**

**_Back at the penthouse…_ **

**Angel opened her eyes to peek at the clock. _8:15 am._ Sighing inwardly, she snuggled under the covers, wrapping Sonny's arm tighter around her middle.**

**Sonny responded by burrowing his face in her hair. "Mmmm, you smell good," he murmured.**

**Angel smiled as rolled over to face him. "Good morning to you too," she purred as she kissed him deeply.**

**"What time is it?" Sonny asked when they parted.**

**"Past eight. I can't remember the last time I slept past six," Angel remarked.**

**"Yeah, you are an early riser," Sonny agreed, "You even beat me a few times."**

**Angel shrugged. "That's the price I pay for being a single, working mother."**

**"You're not working now," Sonny reminded her, with a grin. "There is absolutely nothing forcing you out of this bed at the moment."**

**She saw the twinkle in his eyes and the deepening of his dimples. "What do you have in mind, Sonny?"**

**Sonny lowered his mouth to hers. "Oh, nothing much," he said as he kissed her lightly before trailing kisses down her neck. "Just a little of this." His mouth lowered to the space between her breasts. "And a little of this."**

**Angel sighed as her eyes closed. "Sonny."**

**Sonny slipped his hand under her nightshirt, actually his as she had a habit of sleeping in his t-shirts, and traced little circles across her belly.**

**Angel touched his hand, stopping the motion. "Don't start anything you can't finish, Corinthos," she warned.**

**Sonny grinned. "Baby, I _always_ finish what I start." He moved his hand down to spread her legs. "Question is this, can you say the same?"**

**Angel answered by pulling his face toward her and kissing him soundly. She pulled the shirt over his head and threw it on the floor.**

**_Almost an hour later…_ **

**Angel stood in front of the bathroom mirror wearing Sonny's robe. She was applying moisturizer to her face when Sonny walked in. He was carrying a tray filled with breakfast. "It amazes me that even with that stuff on your face you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,"**

**He said to her reflection in the mirror.**

**Angel smiled at him through the mirror. "You made breakfast?"**

**Sonny smiled. "Come eat, before we leave," he invited, walking back into the bedroom.**

**Angel followed and sat on the edge of the bed. "It smells good. I'm starving."**

**"That's what I like to hear," Sonny said as she forked a piece of waffle into her mouth.**

**After they finished eating, Angel continued dressing. Sonny was downstairs going over a contract when she descended the stairs. "Hey baby?" she called to him. "I need help with the clasp in this necklace."**

**She handed the necklace to him and turned around. As she lifted her hair, Sonny drew the delicate chain around her neck. "This clasp is so small," he remarked as he secured the necklace. "There, let me see you."**

**Angel turned to face him and he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Pretty."**

**Angel smiled. "Are you ready to go? Zander should be released by the time we get to the hospital."**

**As they stepped out of the penthouse, Angel turned to Sonny. "I just want to check on Nicky before we go."**

**Sonny nodded. "I need to talk to Jason," he told her, "I'll be out in a minute."**

**Angel went inside the penthouse and as Sonny was about to knock on Jason's door, he heard her scream. He burst open the door. "Angel!"**

**Angel was hugging Susan. "Sonny, look who's home!" she enthused.**

**Sonny walked into the room. "Hey, welcome home," he said as he kissed her cheek. "We didn't expect you."**

**"Thanks, Sonny," Susan replied, "I decided I couldn't spend Christmas without my family."**

**At that moment, Nicholas walked out of the kitchen, munching on a breakfast burrito. "Hey mom, Sonny."**

**"Hey, I was just coming to check on you to see if you were up," Angel told him, "Sonny and I are going to the hospital to pick up Zander."**

**"Oh, cool, can I come?" Nicholas asked.**

**"Actually, I have an job for you," Sonny told him. "You think you can go with Johnny and Max and pick out the perfect Christmas tree?"**

**Nicholas' eyes lit up. "Yeah!"**

**Sonny laughed. "Well, alright then."**

**Sonny and Angel left soon after. Susan decided to accompany Nicholas in getting the tree and then they would set up a combo 'welcome home/tree-trimming' party in Sonny's penthouse since it was slightly bigger.**

**When they arrived at the hospital, they ran into Monica at the nurses' station. "Monica, hi," Angel greeted.**

**Monica looked up from the chart she was reading. "Hi, you two. If you're here to pick up Zander, you're just in time. I just signed his release forms."**

**"Thank you, Monica, for everything," Angel told her. "I knew Zander would be in good hands with you."**

**"Well, thank you for your confidence, but I think most of his recovery could be attributed to one thing…Emily," Monica admitted, with a smile.**

**They left Monica and continued to Zander's room. Emily was coming out as they rounded the corner. "Hey guys," she greeted them. "Zander's getting dressed and then he'll be ready to go. Mom signed his release papers already."**

**Sonny nodded. "Yeah, we saw Monica already."**

**Emily sighed. "I'm so glad this is over and Zander's alive."**

**Angel rubbed her arm. "I know, Em," she whispered, "I am too." She looked at Sonny, who nodded. "We both are."**

**After waiting a few minutes, Zander opened the door. He was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt underneath an open flannel shirt. He was surprised to see Sonny and Angel. "Hey."**

**"Hi, you look like you're ready to go," Angel said, as she walked inside and hugged him.**

**"I didn't expect you to come," Zander admitted.**

**"Of course we came," Angel insisted. "You're coming home today. That couldn't be a better Christmas present."**

**Amy Vining showed up then pushing a wheelchair. Zander shook his head. "I'm not riding in that thing."**

**"Hospital orders," Amy chanted.**

**"Yeah, Zander," Emily reminded him. "It's the rules. Everybody has to ride in it when they leave."**

**Zander sighed heavily. "Fine, but I'm wheeling myself out of here."**

**Emily laughed. "Oh, no, I'm pushing you."**

**They trooped through the corridor, with Emily teasing Zander and Sonny and Angel following behind.  
**

**  
**

**(A/N: Okay, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I had a little trouble stretching it out cause I decided I wanted the next chapter to stand alone. Coming up…"Christmas at the Corinthos".)**


	27. Christmas with the Corinthos'

True Love Never Dies

A General Hospital Fan-Fiction

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I owned the rights to GH.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Christmas with the Corinthos'

It was just before noon when Sonny and Angel returned to the penthouse with Zander and Emily in tow. Johnny nodded at Zander. "Good to see you, kid."

Zander nodded back. "Thanks."

Turning to his boss, Johnny lowered his voice. "Did Jason tell you about the visitor we had earlier?"

"I haven't seen Jason," Sonny replied. "Who was it?"

Johnny shook his head. "I didn't see him," he began, "he was here when I was helping Susan take her bags upstairs. Jason spoke to him."

Sonny nodded. "I'll speak to Jason."

He turned and opened the front door. As the foursome walked in, Susan and Nicholas greeted them. "Welcome home, Zander!"

They had a banner printed up and hanging above the fireplace. A giant tree stood to the side, next to the landing of the staircase.

Zander was taken aback as Susan rushed forward to hug him. After a moment, he returned her embrace. "I didn't know you were home," he told her when she released him.

Susan smiled. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking going skiing during Christmas vacation," she replied. "I missed my family too much."

Nicholas threw one arm around Susan's neck and kissed her cheek. "Especially her baby brother, right, Susie?"

"Oh yeah, of course that's it," Susan laughed, as she squeezed his face with one hand, "but then who wouldn't miss this face?"

Zander felt a stab of jealousy as he watched the two siblings banter, wondering if he would ever feel as close to them. Nicholas broke away quickly and gave Zander a manly hug. "Good to have you home, man."

"Thanks, man," he responded. "It feels great to be out of the hospital."

"And it's great to have you home, Zander," Angel told him. "Now we can get on with our holiday traditions. We're very behind." Her eyes twinkled as she beamed at him.

"What traditions do you have, Angel?" Emily asked, leading Zander to the couch.

"Well, for one, we always decorate the tree together as a family," she began. "Then we prepare _tamales_ for our Christmas day dinner."

Sonny perked up. "Your grandmother's recipe?"

"You remember?" Angel asked him.

"How could I forget? Every year, we'd help her make them and early Christmas morning I'd rush over to get the first taste," Sonny reminisced.

Angel laughed. "I remember that. She always made a point of saving the first ones for you."

"And don't forget the beans and rice," Sonny reminded her.

"Oh, yes, large servings of beans and rice and tamales," Angel laughed, "that's what she served each and every year."

"And Mom continues it to this day," Nicholas added.

"So is that the plan tonight?" Sonny asked. "We're going to make tamales?"

Angel nodded. "Right after we decorate this tree."

"The Quartermaine's have a tradition too," Emily pointed out. "Every year, Dad reads the Christmas story to the kids at the hospital and then Santa shows up and passes out gifts to the children. It's a lot of fun."

"That's a great tradition," Angel exclaimed. "Can anybody attend?  
Emily smiled. "Sure! The whole town usually goes." She laughed, adding, "or at least whoever can fit in the room."

As they were making plans to attend the GH Christmas party later, the front door opened and Mike walked in carrying two bags of groceries. "Merry Christmas, everyone," he greeted.

"What's in the bags, Mike?" Sonny called out, walking toward his father.

"The Christmas ham, of course," Mike answered.

Sonny shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You are not cooking in my kitchen."

"Let's take this argument into the kitchen," Mike said, "it'll save me time when I win."

As Mike headed to the kitchen, Sonny called out. "Mike! I'm serious, Mike, you're not cooking."

"Do they need a referee?" Zander asked, as the two men disappeared.

"Nah, there'll be minimal blood loss," Angel laughed. "And it'll be worth it when you taste Mike's ham."

_Later…at General Hospital_

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Maxie muttered.

"Come on, Maxie, it'll be fun," her mother Felicia offered. "Think of it this way, you're paying back the hospital for all the Christmas parties you attended here when you were little. Besides, everyone has taken their turn as elf, now it's yours and Georgie's turn."

"I know, Mom," Maxie answered, "but do I have to wear the hat?"

At that moment, she saw Nicholas exit the elevator and gasped out loud. "Oh, my gosh, I can't let Nicholas see me like this!" She tried hiding behind Felicia but it was too late.

Seeing Maxie, Nicholas excused himself from Sonny and Angel. "Hi, Ms Jones," he greeted Felicia. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Nicholas."

Peering around Felicia, Nicholas smiled at Maxie. "Why are you dressed that?" he asked with a grin.

"Nicholas, hi," Maxie tried to sound nonchalant. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Yeah, Emily told us all about the party, so we decided to check it out," Nicholas informed her. "My mom is a sucker for things like this."

"So, why are you dressed like this again?"

Maxie blushed. "I'm an elf."

"A what?" Nicholas couldn't help but smile.

"An elf, you know, a Christmas elf," Maxie repeated. "I help Santa pass out the presents to the kids."

"OH," Nicholas said with a grin, "that's cute."

Maxie hit his arm. "Shut up! It's not cute…I'm mortified."

Nicholas smiled. "Don't be. I like this look."

The Christmas parade started soon after with Tony Jones dressed as Santa Claus. He led the kids into the lounge where Alan Quartermaine greeted them all. "Welcome everyone, to the General Hospital Pediatrics Christmas party."

As the children sat on the floor to listen to the annual Christmas story, Nicholas rejoined his mother and Sonny, who were standing near the tree.

_An hour later back at the penthouse…_

Coming home from the penthouse, Sonny and Angel enjoy a quiet moment alone. Sonny wraps his arms around Angel and she leans against him, closing her eyes. "I can't believe we're actually alone."

They're interrupted as Mike comes out of the kitchen carrying dishes to the table. "You guys are home early. How was the party?"

Without breaking apart, they turn to face him. "It was beautiful," Angel replied, "I loved seeing the faces of all the kids."

"Yeah, but we came back to make sure you didn't burn down my kitchen," Sonny added. Angel nudged him. "_Our_ kitchen," he corrected himself.

Mike's brows raised and he looked at Angel. "I can't believe you got him to relinquish some control over the kitchen. I'm impressed, Angel."

"That's because I know she knows how to cook," Sonny told him, "we had the same teachers, after all."

Mike shook his head at his son. "Who do you think taught me, Michael?"

Before Sonny could answer, the front door opened and Zander, Nicholas and Susan trooped in. They sniffed the air.

"What smells good?" Nick asked.

Mike smiled. "Ah, a man with good taste. Come over here and help set the table and I'll tell you what we're having."

As the kids helped Mike, Sonny dipped his face in Angel's neck. "So much for quiet time alone, huh?"

Dinner was lively and animated and delicious. Sonny even complimented his father for a great meal. When supper was over, cleanup was fast as everyone helped and afterward, Angel began preparations for the tamales.

While she and Sonny prepared the meat, the others showed Zander how to spread the _maza_ on the husk to get it ready for the meat. Zander picked it up fast and soon the job was done.

Angel knew her children well enough that she always prepared a small batch for that night for them to enjoy before bed. She knew Sonny would wait until the next morning, just as he had done many years before in her grandma's kitchen.

By ten o'clock, they were sprawled around the living room, Nicholas, Susan and Zander enjoying their tamales, debating whether to open the gifts.

"I vote to open them," Nicholas began

Sonny laughed. "I didn't know this was up to a vote."

"Sure, why not?" Angel said. "What does everyone else say?"

"Open!" Nicholas again voted.

Everyone laughed. "Not you," Sonny told him, "we know what _you_ want."

"Well, I agree with Nick," Susan said, "only because I know I don't want to get up early tomorrow."

"What about you, Zander?" Angel asked him.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me," he said, "but I agree with Susan's point."

"Okay, then I'll make it a majority and vote we open too," Sonny informed them.

"So, what, my vote doesn't count?" Mike chuckled. "Well, regardless, I vote we open too."

"Then it's unanimous," Angel announced.

Nicholas cheered and scooted on the floor closer to the tree. "I'll pass them out," he announced.

Angel smiled at her youngest son. "He loves that job."

After the gifts were distributed, they were opened with much fanfare and commentary. When Nicholas got the XBOX he had been strenuously hinting at, Sonny commented, "now we'll never get him out of his room."

Zander was surprised when he was presented with a new leather coat. Angel could see the unshed tears forming in his eyes and smiled at him when he shyly formed "thank you" on his lips.

When they were done, Angel began the cleanup process but Sonny stopped her. "Wait, there's one more."

Angel turned to look at him and saw a square box resting in his palm. His eyes were twinkling and his dimples were set deep on his face. "What's that, Sonny?" she whispered.

"Open it and find out," he told her, his voice an emotion-filled whisper.

Mike and the kids were frozen as they watched Angel return to her set beside Sonny.

Sonny leaned forward in his seat until one knee rested on the floor in front of her. He opened the box to reveal a solitary diamond set in a bed of teeny, tiny diamonds. Angel gasped.

"Baby, I have loved you for so long," Sonny began, "longer than I can even remember. I think I loved you from the first day. Even at five years old, I knew you were my best friend. You were always there. No matter what was going on in my life, you were the constant. I knew I could count on you." He paused briefly, before continuing, "even though we were apart for the past twenty years, I somehow knew, deep in my soul, you were still there for me. Now I want to be there for you. Forever and always." He smiled broadly. "Angel, will you marry me?"

Angel sniffled a little laugh. "Sonny, just when I think I couldn't be happier, you do this. I love you so much."

"Is that an answer?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I will marry you, Sonny!"

Mike and the kids had stood frozen in their spot as they watched what unfolded but when Angel announced her answer, they burst into applause. Sonny looked over at them and grinned, "I forgot you were here." He was rewarded by the four of them joining Sonny and Angel in a family hug.

**(A/N…well, I'm back. I promised you "Christmas in July" and gee, it only took me a year to come through (yikes!). Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Please review. Coming up in the next chapter…"Who is Ric Lansing?"**)


	28. who is Ric Lansing?

True Love Never Dies

A General Hospital fan-fiction

Disclaimer: Besides the characters I've created, the only things I own are a bunch of tapes filled with old GH episodes. Anyone want copies? LOL.

Chapter Twenty-eight: Who is Ric Lansing?

Ric Lansing was sitting in his room above Kelly's contemplating the phone. His visit to Sonny's the day before didn't work out so he thought a phone call might be easier. Picking up the phone, he dialed the already familiar number.

On her way to the kitchen to begin cooking for the day, Angel picked up the phone after the first ring. "Hello?"

Ric lost his nerve and hung up the phone, grimacing as he did so. He had expected Sonny to answer, so when he heard Angel's voice, he was thrown off his game.

Frustrated, Ric pushed the phone away and hit the table with his fist. "Damn! Why can't I do this?"

He decided to leave his room while he thought out his next move. The girl he met the day before, Elizabeth, was working when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Do you work all the time?" he asked, taking a seat at the counter.

Elizabeth smiled wearily. "It feels like it," she replied. "I'm only working a couple of hours today for Bobbie. She was in a late surgery last night."

"Do you have plans for Christmas?" Ric asked her.

She nodded. "My Gram lives for Christmas. I think if I didn't show up today, she'd disown me," Elizabeth laughed. Pulling out her order pad, she asked him, "What can I get you this morning?"

Ric ordered waffles, eggs and sausage. Before going to fill his order, Elizabeth filled his coffee cup. As he waited for his food, he retrieved a newspaper from the stack on the counter. The front page had a huge headline:

JOSEPH SOREL TO BE

HELD FOR SENTENCING!

Ric read with interest the story of Sorel's trial. Sonny was mentioned by name a few times, which Ric noted. He was still engrossed in the article when Elizabeth brought his food.

She wrinkled her nose at the paper. "I hope that man gets the death penalty," she said with obvious distaste in her mouth.

Ric looked up. "Do you know him?"

She shook her head. "Not personally, thank God. But some friends of mine got hurt by him."

She moved away and Ric ate his breakfast while he finished the paper.

Angel had just finished cooking the last batch of tamales when Sonny entered the kitchen, sniffing the air. "Oh, those smell great," he said, lifting the cover on the double boiler. He grinned at her. "This brings back so many memories, you know?"

Angel laughed. "I know." She untied her apron and hung it on the rack. "Everything's done for now," she told him, "I'm going to start getting ready for church."

Sonny looked around the kitchen. "You finished everything already?" he asked. "How come you didn't wake me so I could help you?"

"It wasn't necessary, Sonny," Angel insisted. "I've done this by myself for years now." She paused briefly. "Besides, while I was cooking, it gave me a chance to remember grandma in my own way. Christmas always does that, I think of her more now than any other time."

"She'd be proud of you, you know," Sonny said, moving closer to her to wrap his arms around her. "The way you've raised your kids on your own and kept her traditions alive."

Angel looked up at him. "I thought about your mother this morning, too, you know," she told him. "She had her own traditions too. Do you remember some of them?"

Sonny grew quiet. "Most of my mother's holiday traditions went out the window when she married Deke," he said after a moment. "But I do remember how she used to get that Advent calendar every year, you know the one with the candy? And every night we'd open a new window and she'd give me the candy." Sonny chuckled softly. "Man, I haven't thought of that in years."

Angel saw as the smile on his face disappeared. "What is it, Sonny?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." He sighed. He rested his forehead against hers. "We couldn't even have that memory without Deke ruining it," he whispered. "Every year, he'd find the calendar from our hiding place and we'd find it in the trash completely torn up with all the candy missing. I wanted to kill him even then because he ruined for her. I didn't care about the candy, but my mother loved those calendars."

Angel held Sonny as he fought the bad memory.

Nicholas' voice interrupted them from the other room. "Anyone home?" he called out. Susan and Zander followed him into the penthouse.

Sonny and Angel walked out into the living room. "Hey, Merry Christmas, guys," Sonny greeted. "Where's Mike?"

"He had to go check on the bar," Susan told him. "He'll be over later."

"Yeah, yeah, he'll do anything to get out of going to church," Sonny joked.

_Three hours later…_

After attending church at Queen of Angels, Sonny and Angel returned to the penthouse. Johnny was at his post and told them that Mike was inside. Before going inside, Angel stopped to talk to Johnny. "I'd really like you to join us inside, Johnny," she invited with a smile. "There's plenty of food."

"Oh no, thank you, Ms Morrissey," Johnny shook his head. "I don't want to intrude on your family dinner."

"Oh please, if I thought you would be intruding, I wouldn't ask you," Angel insisted. "So, I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer." She turned to Sonny. "Make him come, Corinthos. Pull an executive order or something."

Sonny shrugged at Johnny. "You heard the lady, Johnny," he said, "you're coming."

"Okay, I'll be there," he finally agreed. "Thanks."

"Good," Angel nodded. "We'll be eating as soon as the kids get here with Emily." She turned to Sonny again. "Did you ask Jason to come over?"

Sonny nodded. "He'll be here." Just then, the elevator doors opened and Jason walked out. "I mean, there he is."

Angel went inside the penthouse while the men stood outside. Jason told Sonny about Ric's visit the day before.

"You said Ric Lansing is his name?" Sonny clarified. Shaking his head, he continued, "no, I don't know anyone by that name. Did you run a check on him?"

Jason shrugged. "He's clean as I far as I could find out," he started. "He's a big-shot lawyer in New York City, works for some big law firm there. At least he used to. He resigned a few days ago."

"What did he say yesterday _exactly_?" Sonny asked.

"Nothing," Jason told him. "He just said he needed to speak to you. He knew who you were because when I said you don't take meetings here anymore, he quickly told me _'it's nothing like that'_ and there was something about him I didn't trust."

"What?"

"I don't know, he just…something's not right about him," Jason replied.

Their meeting was interrupted when the kids trooped out of the elevator, Emily in tow. Sonny ushered everyone into the penthouse, Johnny included, where Angel had set the dining room table and was waiting for them.

They had a leisurely meal, no one in a hurry to get up after eating. It was during dessert when a knock on the door interrupted the party.

Johnny immediately got up to answer. He didn't recognize Ric so he went into the hallway and closed the penthouse door behind him. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest and barring the door.

"I'm here to see Mr. Corinthos," Ric told him, "my name is Ric Lansing."

Sensing trouble, Jason joined Johnny in the hallway. "You again? I told you, Mr. Corinthos doesn't take meetings at his home," Jason told him.

Inside the penthouse, Sonny could hear the conversation. He looked over at Angel and shrugged. Throwing his napkin down, he left the table and went to the door. "What's this about?" he asked, opening the door clearly annoyed.

Ric didn't say anything for a minute. Finally, he stammered, "now that you're here, I don't know where to begin."

"What is this about?" Sonny repeated slowly.

"Your mother, Adella," Ric answered.

Angel and Mike became immediately attentive at the mention of Sonny's mother. Sonny frowned at Ric. "What do you have to do with my mother?" he asked.

Ric exhaled. "She's my mother too," he said finally.

**(A/N: Hi! I'm back. Can you believe it? Two chapters in one week! Could I be on a roll? I don't know but I'm not going to question it. LOL. Anyway, hope you like this chapter. I like Ric's character on GH, but I wish the writers didn't make him so "revenge-happy" with Sonny so this will be my spin on him. Oh, and speaking of long-lost siblings, no, Courtney will NOT be making an appearance in this story. No way, no how!**)


	29. Sibling Rivalry

True Love Never Dies

A General Hospital fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I still have those tapes. That's about the only thing I own in regards to GH.

Chapter Twenty-nine: Sibling Rivalry

Sonny was stunned by Ric's revelation. He glared at him. "What did you say about my mother?"

Angel heard Ric's announcement and joined Sonny at the door. She watched the two men stare each other down.

Finally, Ric broke the silence. "It's true," he began, "my mother…_our_ mother gave me to my father after I was born."

Mike stood behind Sonny but stepped forward now. "Look, I don't know what your game is," he warned Ric, "but I knew Adella better than anyone. I know that if she had a child, she would never give him away."

"My father forced her to."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Ric sighed. "It's a long story," he began, "my father wanted to marry our mother but…something happened." He looked at Sonny pointedly. "And I think you know what that was."

Sensing the need for privacy, Susan led Nicholas, Zander and Emily to Penthouse One.

"Do you think this Ric guy is telling the truth?" Nicholas wondered aloud, as he hooked up his XBOX to the TV.

Zander shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "but it didn't look like Sonny was too happy to hear the news."

"Yeah, he looked pissed," Nicholas agreed.

"Whatever Ric is saying, you can bet that Sonny _and Jason_ are going to find out the truth," Emily pointed out.

Back in Penthouse Four, Ric began his tale. "My father met Adella in the spring of '68 on Martha's Vineyard," he told them. "She worked for him and his wife as their housekeeper and cook."

"See, that's where I know you're lying," Mike interjected. "Your father was married. Adella would never have an affair with a married man."

"She did," Ric insisted. "They fell in love. My father loved her very much." He paused. "But he and Sonny didn't like each other." He looked at Sonny again. "As a matter of fact, my father hated you. Especially after the accident."

"What accident?" Angel asked.

"She was already pregnant with me when she fell down the stairs," Ric told them. "My father was convinced Sonny had pushed her intentionally."

"That's ridiculous!" Mike declared. "He was four years old!"

"Anyway, like I said before, my father loved Adella very much and wanted to marry her but only on the condition that she put Sonny up for adoption," Ric continued. "He said that he didn't want his child anywhere near a child as dangerous as Sonny."

In Penthouse One… 

Susan and Emily were bored as they watched the boys play their video game. Struck with an inspiration, she turned to Emily. "How about we all go ice skating?" she suggested.

Emily's face brightened. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. "That's a great idea."

"I can't skate," Zander said, his eyes never leaving the screen. "I grew up in Florida, remember?"

After many promises from Emily that she wouldn't let him fall, Zander agreed to accompany them to the ice skating pond.

"We'll have to rent you a pair of skates," Susan told him, as they grabbed their coats and headed for the door.

They met Johnny in the hall. After they promised to take along Francis and Max as protection, they stepped into the elevator.

It seemed everyone in Port Charles had had the same idea as Susan because the skating pond was packed. Zander was fitted for skates and Emily took hold of his hand and led him onto the ice.

"Go on ahead," Susan told Nicholas as she finished lacing up her skates. When she finished, she stood up a little too fast and fell face first onto the snow. As she lay there a minute, collecting herself, a hand reached down to assist her.

"Thanks," she said, as a young man about her age helped her up. She waved off Max, who had stepped forward to assist her.

"Are you okay?" Lucky asked her, his gaze fixed on her.

Susan was brushing the snow off her clothes when she looked up at him. She was struck by the intensity of his stare. "Yeah," she said after a moment. "Thanks again."

Emily and Zander skated by at that moment. Or rather, Emily skated, Zander followed. "Lucky!" she called out to her friend.

"Hi Em."

"Is Elizabeth here?" Emily asked him.

Lucky shook his head. "I haven't seen her in awhile."

Emily frowned. "Did you guys have another fight?"

"Can't fight when you don't have anything to talk about," Lucky shrugged. He looked around. "I gotta get out of here. See you later, Em." He looked back at Susan again. "Be careful now."

When he was gone, Susan asked Emily, "Who was that?"

"Lucky Spencer, one of my best friends," Emily told her. "He was dating my other best friend, Elizabeth Webber, a year ago but then he was kidnapped. When he finally escaped, we found out he was brainwashed so he's changed a lot."

"He hates me, we know that," Zander told Susan. "Doesn't think I'm good enough for Em."

"Zander, that's not true," Emily insisted. "Lucky is just over-protective of me, that's all."

"Whatever," Zander said, "he hates me.

Back in Penthouse Four… 

Sonny and Ric continued their face-off. "You think you know all about me, don't you?" Sonny questioned him.

"I know enough," Ric told him boldly.

Sonny grinned. Shaking his head, he laughed at Ric. Suddenly he stopped. "You don't know anything about me, you got that?" he told him. "And you know nothing about my mother."

Ric opened his mouth to speak but Sonny stopped him. "Don't," he told him. "Not one more word from your lying mouth about _MY_ mother. I don't care what your _daddy_ told you, ok? It's all lies." He turned to Jason. "Get him out of here and make sure he doesn't come back."

Jason ushered Ric out of the penthouse, leaving Sonny sitting in his armchair. He leaned back and covered his eyes with his hand. Angel moved to sit on the ottoman in front of him.

"Hey," she whispered, "you alright?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I am now," he told her, pulling her to sit on his lap. She leaned down to kiss him lightly.

Mike cleared his throat. "Hey, sorry to interrupt, guys," he said. "I'm going to take off."

Angel looked up. "So soon, Mike?"

"Yeah," he said, looking at his watch. _Four o'clock._ "I promised Frank I'd relieve him at the Recovery Room tonight."

"See you later, pop," Sonny called out as Mike went out the door.

When he was gone, Angel turned serious. "So, you want to talk about what just happened?"

"What's to talk about? It's all lies."

"How do you know, Sonny?"

"What, do you think he's my brother?" Sonny asked her.

"I don't know, Sonny," she answered. "What I'm asking is how you can be so sure he's not."

Sonny sighed. "He can't be, it's just not possible," he said quietly. "I mean, my mother…" His voice trailed off.

"I know," Angel said as she held him. "But Sonny, if he's not your brother, aren't you curious, just a little bit, about what he wants? Why would he go through with this if its' just a lie?"

Sonny mulled over her words. "You're right," he finally said. "We have to find out if what he said is true. And if it is…well, we'll deal with that when and if the time comes."

He gently moved Angel over so he could reach his cell phone. Hitting the speed dial, he connected with Jason's phone. Reaching the voice mail, he left a simple message, "I need to talk to you about this Ric business" before disconnecting the call.

Tossing his phone on the ottoman, he turned his attention back to Angel. "I'm sorry our Christmas got cut short."

Angel smiled. "Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault, Sonny," she assured him, "besides, we'll have plenty of Christmases to make up for it."

"You better believe it," Sonny affirmed, as he claimed her mouth with his.

At Kelly's Diner… 

It was nearing five o'clock by the time Ric arrived back at the diner. Jason has dropped him off on the outskirts of town and it had taken Ric over an hour to get back. Ric didn't like that he had been dismissed by Sonny in that manner and he vowed that it wouldn't happen again.

He walked into the diner and took a seat at the counter. Penny greeted him as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Where's Elizabeth?" he asked her. He needed to see a friendly face.

"She's spending Christmas with her grandmother," Penny told him.

Ric nodded. "That's right, she told me that." He ordered a hamburger and fries and she went to fill his order.

Just then, Susan, Nicholas, Emily and Zander walked in the diner. Nicholas saw Ric first and pointed him out to the others.

"Wonder what he's doing here?" he said, curious.

"Let's just forget about him," Susan suggested. "Let Sonny deal with him, alright?"

"Looks like Sonny already _dealt_ with him," Zander pointed out. "Otherwise he wouldn't be here alone; he'd be at the penthouse."

Ric looked up and saw Zander watching him. When Zander turned back to Emily, Ric continued to watch him, an idea forming in his head. A slow smile crept on his face.

...To be continued…

(A/N: Hey! What do you know? I'm back. Hope you like this chapter. Please review and let me know. Thanks!)


	30. Setting the Record Straight

True Love Never Dies

A General Hospital fan-fiction

Disclaimer: Again, I do not hold any rights to any General Hospital character. I've only borrowed them to play with the characters in my mind.

Chapter Thirty: Setting the Record Straight

After dropping Ric off, Jason returned to his penthouse to retrieve the dossier he created on the man. Going across the hall, he nodded at Johnny as he rapped on the door twice before letting himself in.

"Hey," Sonny nodded at him. "Is that the file?"

"Yeah, it has Ric's entire background," Jason began, "from where he was born, his schools, including preschool, all the way up to last month."

"Good, good," Sonny asserted. "I want to go over this with a fine-toothed comb and look for anything that will prove what a lying bastard he is."

Angel descended the stairs at that moment. Seeing Jason, she paused. "Oh, am I interrupting business?"

Sonny shook his head and motioned for her to approach. "No, no, it's okay," he told her. "I want you involved in this. You knew my mother as well as I did."

She joined Sonny on the couch while Jason sat in the armchair. "What is this?" she asked, indicating the file.

"Jason did a background check on Ric," Sonny told her.

"Already?"

"I did it yesterday after he showed up here," Jason told her. "I knew there was something about him that I didn't like."

They spent the next hour pouring over the file. Angel realized how extensive it was when she saw that Jason had even found out that Ric had once been engaged. Apparently, he had called it off a few days prior to the wedding but there was no reason listed in the file.

On one of the property reports, Sonny discovered a house listed on Martha's Vineyard. A picture was attached and as Sonny stared at it, he was struck with a memory.

_"See, Michael, the beach is so close to the house," Adella told her young son, as they walked up to the big Victorian house. "We're going to have so much fun making sand castles every day."_

_Little Michael continued to pout. He hadn't wanted to leave his friends in Brooklyn. "I don't want to go to the beach!" he shouted insolently._

_"Oh, Michael, you'll change your mind."_

Sonny shook his head to rid himself of the memory. Angel saw the change in him. "Sonny? Are you okay?"

"I don't know," he responded, continuing to shake his head slowly. "But I think I know this house."

Angel peered over his shoulder at the picture. "1187 Peacock Lane, Martha's Vineyard," she read from the description. "Do you think this is the house Ric was telling us about?"

Jason glanced at the picture. "It's their vacation house," he told them. "They went every year."

Sonny set the picture aside and continued sifting through the material. But the picture never left his mind.

* * *

Mike locked up the Recovery Room behind him. He paused outside the bar before heading toward his car. For the millionth time that night, he remembered Ric Lansing's words. _"Adela was my mother too."_

_He couldn't be, Mike thought to himself. Adela would never have an affair, much less with a married man. Mike knew her to be a deeply religious woman. The sanctity of marriage was strong in her._

Frank Scanlon walked by then and saw Mike paused in the doorway, shaking his head. "Hey, Mike, you ok?" he asked the older man who had once dated his mother before her recent marriage to Victor Collins.

Mike looked up startled. "What?" Seeing Frank, he smiled. "Oh, Frank, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about something."

"Okay, see you tomorrow," he said, as he continued walking.

Mike turned in the opposite direction and started walking toward the park. He needed to talk to Sonny about his mother. There was something bugging him about the timing of Ric's story. Even if Ric were Adela's son, there was still no way that she had an affair with Trevor Lansing. Which meant...

Mike stopped abruptly, suddenly struck with a memory.

_It was a December night in 1967 when he arrived at his old apartment in badly in need of warmth. Adela had graciously let him in. After making him something to eat and drink, he had fallen asleep on the couch._

_When he awoke, she was sitting up watching him. Wordlessly, she went to sit next to him and kissed him. When he tried to speak, she put a finger to his lips and whispered, "no more words, Michael." She led him into her room and they made love once again, forgetting all the hurt of the past._

Mike winced at the memory of leaving Adela the next morning before Michael could wake up. But it had been the right thing to do. He didn't want to give his son any false hopes that his parents were getting back together.

But the deeper issue rocked his world. What if Adela had discovered she was pregnant after that night? That would mean Ric was Mike's son instead of Trevor Lansing!

Mike hurried through the park. As he passed the fountain, he spotted a dark figure sitting on a bench. As he approached, he saw it was Ric.

Ric looked up to see Mike staring at him. Rolling his eyes, Ric scoffed. "Oh great, now I suppose you're going to tell Jason Morgan I'm back in town."

Mike continued to stare at him. He was trying to see if Ric had any of Adela in him.

"What are you staring at?" Ric stood up to face Mike.

"Nothing," Mike shook his head. He saw nothing of his beloved wife in the man.

As Mike turned to leave, Ric stopped him. "Wait."

Mike turned back.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," Ric apologized. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What about?"

"Adela," Ric answered. "I think you probably know more about her than anybody."

"She was a great wife," Mike told him wistfully. "I only wish I had been a better husband." He paused. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

He left Ric standing in the park and continued on his way to the penthouse.

* * *

"I can't wait till Sonny breaks down the wall," Nicholas said as he and Zander walked in the front door of penthouse 4 on their way to the kitchen. "It'll save us so much time when we want to raid the fridge."

"When's it supposed to happen?" Zander asked.

Nicholas shrugged. "I think he was going to do it before Mom was kidnapped, then you got shot, so maybe he forgot."

"I didn't forget." Sonny surprised them by appearing on the stairs. "What are you guys doing up so late? Your mom's already asleep."

"Got hungry," Nicholas replied. "The second best thing about Mom's Christmas dinner is the leftovers."

As Nicholas continued to the kitchen, Zander hung back.

"Something on your mind?" Sonny asked him.

"Do you think this Ric person is really your brother?" he wondered.

Sonny sighed. "My gut says no," he started, "but..."

"You're not sure," Zander finished.

"Yeah." Sonny put his hand on Zander's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about this," he told him, "I'll take care of Ric Lansing."

"He was at Kelly's tonight when we went in," Zander said, "he didn't say anything to us, but I could feel him watching us the whole time."

"When or if you see him again, I want you kids to steer clear of him," Sonny ordered. "We don't know what this guy wants. Or what he'll do to get it. He could try to use you kids as leverage against me." He looked Zander in the eye. "I'm going to count on you to watch over Nicholas and Susan. Especially Nick, he can be too trusting. Someone like Ric could exploit that."

Zander nodded. "I'll be on the lookout."

Sonny patted him on the back. "Good. Now go make sure Nick isn't making a mess in my kitchen."

As Zander left the living room, there was a knock on the door. Sonny was surprised to see Mike. "Hey, what are you doing back here so soon?"

"Michael, we need to talk."

Sonny knew he wasn't going to like what Mike had to say. He never did when Mike prefaced his speech with Sonny's given name.

Mike walked to the bar and poured himself a whiskey. He downed it in one gulp and quickly poured himself another. He carried it over to the couch and sat down. "I think you should sit down, Michael. You're not going to like what I'm about to say."

"Just spit it out, Mike," Sonny told him.

Mike took a slow drink from his glass and exhaled deeply before announcing, "I think Ric's telling the truth."

Sonny moved closer. "What do you mean, Mike?"

"I think it's possible that he could be your mother's son," Mike began, "but I think he might be mine too."

...to be continued...

(A/N: As you can see, I've changed Ric's history a little bit. I never liked how the writers made Ric such a bastard when it was revealed he was Sonny's brother...they made him a villain just to make Jason all the more heroic, to make Jason seem more like Sonny's brother than Ric would ever be. So my story will be more "Ric friendly". I hope you like the idea. Please review and let me know either way. Thanks!)


	31. He ain't heavy, is he?

**True Love Never Dies**

**a General Hospital fan-fiction**

_**I don't own GH or its' characters. I've only borrowed them to play with the characters in my mind.**_

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One: He ain't heavy, is he?**

**Sonny's world was rocked after Mike's revelation. He didn't know what to think, knowing that Mike had only left Adela a second time. And if she was pregnant again, that was too much for Sonny to bear.**

**_Man, I really am my father's son,_ Sonny thought as he realized he had pretty much done the same to Angel.**

**After Mike had left the penthouse, Sonny went upstairs. Angel was sleeping soundly and peacefully. He sat down on the bed gently and watched her.**

**He couldn't believe his luck in finding her again and she seemed to forgive him for abandoning her.**

**Angel stirred in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open. "Sonny?" she whispered, when she saw him sitting beside her.**

**"Hey, did I wake you?"**

**She smiled and pushed up on her elbows. "It's okay, I tend to wake up when someone watches me sleep." She noticed the sadness in Sonny's eyes. "What's the matter, baby?"**

**"How did you do it, Angel?" he asked softly. Seeing her confusion, he continued. "How did you...accept when I left you? Why didn't you just hate me?"**

**"Sonny..." Angel began, rising to sit up fully. "I could never hate you," she continued, as she cupped his cheek with one hand. "Where is this coming from?"**

**"Mike was just here," he told her. "He claims he's Ric's father not Trevor Lansing." He pulled away gently. "I'm just like my father, aren't I? I left after you got pregnant, just like he left my mother."**

**"Okay, wait a minute," Angel told him, "Mike and your mother? Oh, my God, I can't believe it."**

**"How are you so sure it's true?" Sonny asked her.**

**"Sonny, why would Mike lie about this? I mean, it doesn't exactly paint him in the most positive light," she continued. "What I don't understand though is why would Adela give up her baby."**

**"That's what you don't understand?" Sonny wondered. "I'm still stuck on my mother being pregnant again. How could I have blocked that out?"**

**"You were just a child."**

**"That doesn't matter," Sonny insisted. "A lot of kids younger than me remember their mother being pregnant."**

**"Not if the baby doesn't live with them," Angel surmised. After a moment, she began again, "yeah, it makes sense, Sonny. If your mother was pregnant and for some reason didn't keep the child, then it would be easy for a young child to block it out completely, especially if your mother never spoke of the child."**

**She paused as she watched him think. "What are you going to do now?"**

**Sonny sighed. "The only thing I can. Find out the truth," he said, "no matter what it is."**

**For the next several days, Sonny had Stan look even deeper into Ric's past. He wanted to know who his neighbors were, how long they had known his family and if they were still in residence. What Sonny was looking for, and what he didn't tell Stan, was anyone who might have known his mother at the time she was supposedly pregnant with Ric.**

**Sonny's earliest memories stemmed from growing up in Bensonhurst, living next door to Angel and her grandmother, and hanging out with the Cerullo kids on the block. But Sonny had only just moved there when he was five, when Adela married Deke Woods, so he had no memory of his life before then. He knew he had he and his mother had lived in a rundown apartment on Flatbush after Mike had left but he had no memory of it.**

**If Adela had given birth to another child, Ric or otherwise, Sonny wanted to find someone, anyone who knew her then and could shed some light on the reason she gave him up.**

**It was late evening on New Year's Eve when Stan came to the penthouse to inform Sonny that he found someone, a woman who worked in the Lansing home the summer that Ric was born.**

**"Her name is Maggie Perkins," Stan told him, "she was the housekeeper for the Lansing family from 1963 to 1970. She's in her sixties now and living with her daughter's family on Long Island."**

**Sonny nodded. "Thanks, Stan, I appreciate it," he said, taking the file Stan handed him.**

**After Stan left, Sonny picked up the phone and called his pilot. "Get the plane ready," he ordered, "we're going to New York tonight."**

**Just then, Angel descended the stairs. She was dressed in a black sequined dress. "Did I hear you call for the plane, Sonny?" she stopped on the steps.**

**Sonny turned to her. "Yeah," he answered, "we won't be able to go to Luke's club. Stan found a woman who may have known my mother when Ric was born."**

**Angel nodded. "I'll go change," she said, turning to go up the stairs. "I'll be right back."**

**Fifteen minutes later, she appeared again, this time with her cell phone to her ear. "Thank you, sweetheart," she was saying, "I don't know when Sonny and I will be back. Love you, and watch out for your brother tonight, okay?"**

**When she hung up, Sonny raised his eyebrows. "Who was that?"**

**"Susan," Angel replied, "I wanted to make sure she and Zander kept an eye on Nicholas while we were gone."**

**"Are they still going to the Nik Cassadine's party tonight?"**

**Angel grinned. "Are you kidding me? Nicholas hasn't been talking about anything but for days now," she laughed. "No way is he missing that."**

**Sonny wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry we had to change our New Year's plans," he whispered, as he kissed the top of her head.**

**"It's okay, Sonny," she assured him, "as long as we're together, it'll be a happy new year."**

**Johnny knocked on the door then and cracked it open. "Boss? The car's ready."**

**"Thanks, Johnny."**

**As they left the penthouse, Sonny made sure he had all the papers Stan had given him.**

**As they drove to the airport in silence, Angel knew he had alot on his mind. If all went well with Maggie Perkins, he'd find out tonight whether Ric was his brother or not. She took Sonny's hand in hers and placed it in her lap. Sonny smiled as they laced their fingers together just as they did when they were in high school.**

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****Jason walked into Kelly's and found an empty diner. Elizabeth was at the counter but it looked like she was leaving.**

**"Hi Jason," she smiled in greeting.**

**"Hey," he said simply. "Are you leaving? You need a ride home?"**

**She shook her head. "No, someone's coming to pick me up," she told him. "Would you believe I have New Year's plans?"**

**She looked over Jason's shoulder and saw Ric entering. Jason turned and froze when he saw Ric. "What are you doing here?" he asked, coldly.**

**"Jason," Elizabeth was surprised at the tone of his voice.**

**He glanced back at Elizabeth and realized Ric was the person she was waiting for.**

**"Have a happy new year, Jason," Elizabeth said to him as she pulled on her coat and met Ric at the door.**

**As they were leaving, AJ entered. He held the door open for the duo to pass. He stopped when he saw Jason. "Hey."**

**"Hey," Jason nodded.**

**"Happy new year," AJ told his brother. It had been a few months since the brothers had seen each other. Since Sonny and Jason had backed off of AJ concerning Michael, AJ had finally been awarded liberal visitation of his son.**

**"You too."**

**After a moment of silence, AJ spoke up. "Have you seen Michael? He's doing real well."**

**"Yeah, I talk to Carly once in awhile," Jason told him, "she says Michael's happy."**

**"Oh, yeah, he's great," AJ added. "He stays at my place three times a week and every other weekend and let me tell you, we have a blast."**

**"That's good."**

**They lapsed into silence again and AJ checked his watch. He wondered what could be taking Hannah so long in getting dressed.**

**Finally, AJ spoke again. "Can I ask you a question, Jason?" He took his brother's continued silence as a yes and went on. "Was it worth it for you? I mean, keeping the lie going? Was it worth it? I mean, knowing what you know now, would you do it again?" He paused. "I understand the reason you lied. I do. You wanted to protect Michael from the threat you thought I was when I was drinking but it turns out I was actually good for my son. You should see him, Jason, he's opening up more. Remember how he used to be so shy and wouldn't talk to strangers? He's a real chatterbox now." He chuckled. "And he was good for me too. I'm cleaned up and I have a beautiful girlfriend."**

**Jason shrugged. "Good for you."**

**"And Carly, my God," AJ continued, "if you had told me last year that we'd be getting along at this time, I would have laughed in your face. But there it is, when she drops him off at my place, we're actually civil. And when I take him home, Bobbie even lets me in the brownstone. Can you believe that? I used to be _'persona non grata'_ as far as she was concerned."**

**He paused again to let Jason speak. When he didn't, AJ asked him again, "so was it worth it? For you, I mean. We're...Michael, Carly and I...we're happily coexisting, but what about you? You're alone. You lost everything. After two years, you lost Michael and the woman you love. And now you're alone. So was it worth it?"**

**At that moment, AJ saw Hannah. He smiled and gestured to her that he'd be with her soon. "Well, you don't have to answer me, Jason," he said, "because I know the answer. You may not agree but it wasn't worth it. You may not believe this but I do want you to be happy because you're my brother. Robin made you happy...happier than I'd seen you since the accident. I never understood why you pushed her away just because she told the truth that needed to be told."**

**Jason sighed. "I don't want to talk about this," he said, turning to leave. He looked back at AJ and said, "I'm glad you're happy, AJ."**

**AJ smiled. "Thanks." As Jason walked out, he said quietly, "Happy New Year, brother."**

**Hannah had been watching their exchange quietly since her entrance but after Jason's departure she turned to AJ. "What was that about?"**

**AJ grinned at her. "Don't worry," he assured her, "just clearing the air with my brother." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and whispered, "you look beautiful tonight."**

**Hannah blushed. "This old thing? I've had in my closet for ages," she teased.**

**"Lucky closet," AJ joked. They called goodbye to Penny who was stuck watching the diner for the night.**

**As they exited the diner, Jason walked out from behind a wall and watched them leave in the opposite direction. His brow creased as he replayed AJ's words.**

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**It was close to ten o'clock when Sonny's plane landed at LaGuardia Airport. A prearranged car and driver was waiting for them as they got off the plane. As they slid into the car, Sonny called out Maggie Perkins' address to the driver.**

**Traffic was backed up as they drove out of the airport but cleared as they started on the Long Island Expressway. Most of the traffic was headed off the island as people were probably heading into Manhattan to celebrate the New Year.**

**Soon they were getting off the expressway. The houses they passed were decidedly middle class. Lawns were manicured with two cars in every driveway. When they reached their destination, the driver pulled to a stop alongside the curb. Sonny and Angel looked at the darkened house. It looked like no one was home.**

**"You think they're out for the evening?" Angel asked.**

**As they sat and watched the house, a blue light flickered from inside. "Someone's home," Sonny said, "watching TV."**

**He opened the door to step, turning back to assist with Angel out of the car. They walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.**

**A minute passed before they heard a woman call out. "Who is it and what do you want?"**

**"Sonny Corinthos," he answered. "I'm looking for Maggie Perkins."**

**The door opened immediately. An older woman with gray hair, glasses on a chain around her neck, and wearing a housedress appeared before them. She had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the chill from the night. "Corinthos, you say?" she repeated. She took a long look at Sonny. "You're Adela's boy, aren't you? Michael?"**

**"You knew my mother?" Sonny asked.**

**"Of course I knew Adela," she declared. "Come here, you." She startled him by throwing her arms around him. "And I knew you too. My goodness, you grew up handsome," she added as she withdrew her arms from him.**

**Angel turned her head slightly to hide her amusement. Sonny seemed to get the same reaction from women, regardless of their age. From 8 to 80, women fell in love with him and his dimples.**

**After her exuberant greeting, Maggie let them in the house. They settled in the living room and Maggie, ever the good hostess, offered them refreshments.**

**Sonny began asking her questions about the time she spent working for the Lansing family. Maggie made a face at the mention of Trevor's name. "I couldn't stand that man," she said bitterly. "He was, pardon my french, an asshole."**

**Sonny and Angel exchanged a look, trying to keep from smiling at the woman's obvious dislike for the man.**

**"He treated that poor child just abominably," Maggie continued, "it was a wonder why he wanted him in the first place."**

**"What child?" Sonny asked her.**

**"His son, of course, Ric, I think, was his name," Maggie told him. "Well, he wasn't really his son. He was _adopted_."**

**"Whose son was he?" Sonny asked, his voice barely above a whisper.**

**Maggie looked at him questionably. "Why, he was your mother's, of course," she said point-blank. Seeing the look of disbelief on Sonny's face, she went on, "that is why you're here, isn't it? You're looking for your brother? I hoped one day Adela would get up the courage to fight for her son. I thought it was despicable how _that man_ took him from her."**

**Sonny felt like he had been holding his breath for an eternity before he exhaled. It was true. Ric was his brother. "What happened?" he asked. "How did Lansing end up raising my mother's son?"**

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**It was past 1:00 AM when Zander, Emily, Lucky, Susan and Nicholas caught the launch from Spoon Island. Nicholas was sitting near the side of the small boat and was raving about the party and about one guest in particular, Maxie Jones.**

**"Don't you think Maxie's cool?" Nicholas asked them.**

**"Yeah, she's a pretty good kid," Zander told him, as he wrapped his arms around Emily to keep her warm in the cool night air.**

**"_Kid!?_" Nicholas exclaimed. "Maxie's not a kid. She's my age."**

**"What's your point, _kid_?" Susan teased her younger brother.**

**After a little teasing, Emily spoke up for Nicholas. "We think it's cute, Nicholas," she said, "you and Maxie are adorable together."**

**They reached the docks and descended the launch. "I'm hungry," Nicholas announced.**

**"Of course you are," Zander laughed. "You're a human garbage disposal."**

**"I'm serious," Nicholas said, "do you think Kelly's is still open?"**

**"I could go for a piece of pie," Lucky said. "Let's go see if they're open."**

**When they arrived at Kelly's, they were met by a crowded diner. As they walked in, they spotted two chairs at the counters. Emily and Susan took the seats with the boys crowding around them.**

**"I guess everyone had the same idea," Lucky joked.**

**Penny came out of the kitchen just then. "I'll be with you in a minute," she said as she carried two plates to a table by the door.**

**"No rush, Penny," Emily called out.**

**Soon, a table opened up by the window, and they settled in, ordering hot chocolate and apple pie.**

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**Instead of flying home, Sonny and Angel checked in to the Plaza. With a heavy sigh, they sunk into the couch in the living room. Angel quickly removed her shoes and tucked her legs under her as she leaned her head on Sonny's shoulder.**

**"You okay, baby?" he asked her.**

**She let out a yawn and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just tired."**

**Sonny put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for coming with me tonight," he told her. "I don't think I could have gotten through it without you."**

**"You would have done fine, Sonny," Angel assured him.**

**"Well, still, I'm glad you were there," he reiterated.**

**They sat quietly for awhile until Angel yawned again. Sonny moved to get up. "Okay, it's time to get you to bed," he said. He stood up and held out his hand.**

**Angel let him lead her to the bed. She unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off. Her skirt was next to come off and she folded both items neatly and laid them on the chaise lounge.**

**Wearing only her bra and panties, Angel slipped beneath the sheets and sunk into the pillow. Sonny followed suit, wearing only his silk boxers.**

**As he wrapped himself around her, Sonny nuzzled the nape of her neck. "Good night, baby, I love you."**

**"Mm, I love you, too, Sonny," Angel murmured just before sleep overtook her.**

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**A/N: As you can see, I'm back with my never-ending story. I swear there is an ending but I have neglected this story for so long, I'm way way behind. Hope you like where I've taken the characters. As always, I love getting feedback so please, please review! Thanks!**


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